American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.33 EPS

13 May 2026, 10:20 by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat Gem

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI – Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The company reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.33, FiscalAI reports. American Public Education had a net margin of 6.13% and a return on equity of 14.32%. The business had revenue of $174.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $173.73 million. American Public Education updated its Q2 2026 guidance to 0.340-0.390 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from American Public Education’s conference call:

Q1 results beat guidance — revenue of $174.7M (+6.2% year‑over‑year; +8.7% ex‑Graduate School), Adjusted EBITDA $29.2M (+37.5%), diluted EPS $0.94 (+129%), and management raised full‑year revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and EPS guidance.
Accreditor approval received — the Higher Learning Commission approved consolidation into a single institution; DOE OPEID merger is the remaining step with an expected effective date in early Q3 2026 and management expects revenue synergies beginning in 2027.
Health+ momentum — Health+ revenue grew ~11% on ~8% enrollment growth and a modest tuition increase, with campus expansion underway (Orlando enrolling, Cincinnati relocation H2‑2026, Detroit campus targeting Q1‑2027).
Military+ performance and near‑term headwinds — Military+ delivered strong profitability (≈36% Adjusted EBITDA margin in Q1) and 4% registration growth, but management plans ~$2.2M incremental Q2 marketing to offset short‑term registration slowdowns in Navy/Air Force/Marines related to Middle East deployments, which they view as timing versus structural.
Strong balance sheet and capital flexibility — cash & restricted cash ~$221M with excess cash over debt ~$131M, a refinancing that cut borrowing costs ~375 bps, a $50M share repurchase authorization (initial repurchases executed), and capacity to fund campus buildouts, tuck‑in M&A, or opportunistic buybacks.

American Public Education Stock Down 3.0%

APEI traded down $1.61 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $51.39. The company had a trading volume of 50,912 shares, compared to its average volume of 307,523. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $55.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.31. American Public Education has a 52 week low of $25.80 and a 52 week high of $61.59. The company has a market capitalization of $946.09 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.94, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a quick ratio of 3.46, a current ratio of 3.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Public Education news, CMO Karmela Gaffney sold 2,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.87, for a total transaction of $150,849.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 40,527 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,264,243.49. The trade was a 6.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Nuno S. Fernandes sold 6,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.87, for a total transaction of $350,155.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 84,175 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,534,507.25. The trade was a 7.17% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 377,071 shares of company stock valued at $20,753,569. 10.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 5,909.5% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,262 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 1,241 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in American Public Education by 84.1% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,616 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in shares of American Public Education by 40.5% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,914 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 552 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 96.5% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,643 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 1,298 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of American Public Education by 259.6% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,276 shares of the company’s stock valued at $199,000 after buying an additional 3,809 shares during the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about American Public Education

Here are the key news stories impacting American Public Education this week:

Positive Sentiment: APEI reported Q1 EPS of $0.94, well above the $0.61 consensus, and revenue of $174.74 million also edged past estimates, underscoring solid execution. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 outlook after the quarter, with guidance showing stronger revenue expectations and improving business momentum from Military+ activity and Health+ enrollment. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: B. Riley Financial lifted its price target to $68 from $67 and kept a buy rating, signaling continued confidence in upside from current levels. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: Northland Securities raised its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates to $2.53 and $3.05, respectively, reflecting improved profitability expectations.
Neutral Sentiment: Northland also boosted its Q2 2026 EPS estimate to $0.37, but lowered its Q4 2026 estimate to $0.81 from $0.90, suggesting a stronger near-term quarter but a softer late-year outlook.
Neutral Sentiment: The stock’s recent move appears to reflect a tug-of-war between upbeat earnings/guidance and mixed analyst revisions rather than a single negative catalyst.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APEI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Truist Financial increased their price objective on American Public Education from $38.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $56.00 price target on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Lake Street Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $62.00 price objective on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Tuesday. Northland Securities set a $51.00 target price on shares of American Public Education in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Griffin Securities set a $53.00 price target on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Public Education presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $57.63.

View Our Latest Analysis on American Public Education

American Public Education Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

American Public Education, Inc operates as a provider of online postsecondary education, offering degree and certificate programs through its wholly owned subsidiary, American Public University System (APUS). The company designs and delivers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as business administration, information technology, criminal justice, homeland security, health sciences, and education. Its curriculum is developed to meet the needs of working adults, military personnel, veterans and civilian students seeking flexible, career-relevant learning opportunities.

APUS is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and employs a proprietary online learning platform that supports asynchronous instruction, digital course materials and interactive learning tools.