American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Announces Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) issued an update on its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.810-1.070 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.950. The company issued revenue guidance of $179.4 million-$185.4 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $181.2 million. American Public Education also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.590-2.840 EPS.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on APEI shares. DA Davidson upgraded American Public Education to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. B. Riley Financial lowered their price target on American Public Education from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. Lake Street Capital lifted their target price on shares of American Public Education from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of American Public Education from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded American Public Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.00.

American Public Education Stock Performance

Shares of APEI opened at $40.13 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $44.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $49.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $734.40 million, a P/E ratio of 16.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.49. American Public Education has a 52 week low of $31.13 and a 52 week high of $61.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 3.25 and a current ratio of 3.25.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 9th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.06. American Public Education had a net margin of 6.84% and a return on equity of 15.30%. The firm had revenue of $169.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $165.79 million. Equities analysts forecast that American Public Education will post 2.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at American Public Education

In other news, insider James Kenigsberg sold 1,256 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.69, for a total transaction of $59,898.64. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 43,473 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,073,227.37. This trade represents a 2.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about American Public Education

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter results beat expectations: EPS was $0.32 versus the $0.26 consensus, while revenue of $169.14 million exceeded the $165.79 million estimate. The company said revenue, net income, EPS and adjusted EBITDA all surpassed its guidance. American Public Education Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: APEI raised its full-year 2026 guidance across key metrics. Revenue guidance of $695 million–$701 million is above the $693.5 million consensus; fourth-quarter revenue guidance of $179.4 million–$185.4 million also brackets a midpoint above analysts’ $181.2 million estimate. Full-Year Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: The raised full-year diluted EPS range of $2.59–$2.84 is still below the $2.95 analyst consensus, a possible constraint on further upside. Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $0.81–$1.07 spans the $0.95 consensus. Fourth-Quarter Guidance

About American Public Education

American Public Education, Inc (NASDAQ: APEI) is an education services company that provides postsecondary instruction and career-focused training through a group of institutions. Its portfolio includes American Public University System, Rasmussen University and Hondros College of Nursing.

American Public University System offers undergraduate and graduate programs primarily through online and distance-learning formats. Its institutions serve military personnel, veterans, working adults and other students, with academic offerings spanning areas such as business, public service, health care, technology, security and liberal arts.

Rasmussen University provides undergraduate and graduate education through online and campus-based programs, with a focus on health sciences, nursing, business, technology and other career-oriented fields.