American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Insider Sells 6,500 Shares

17 Mar 2026, 22:40 by Danessa Lincoln · The Markets Daily

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI – Get Free Report) insider Nuno Fernandes sold 6,500 shares of American Public Education 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 directly owned 84,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,534,507.25. This trade represents a 7.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

American Public Education Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:APEI traded up $0.64 on Tuesday, hitting $55.98. The company had a trading volume of 635,632 shares, compared to its average volume of 317,375. The stock has a market cap of $1.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.70. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $43.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $38.48. American Public Education, Inc. has a 1-year low of $20.75 and a 1-year high of $58.69. The company has a current ratio of 3.46, a quick ratio of 3.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $158.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $151.61 million. American Public Education had a net margin of 4.86% and a return on equity of 11.30%. American Public Education has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.580-0.640 EPS. Analysts expect that American Public Education, Inc. will post 0.47 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on APEI shares. Zacks Research upgraded American Public Education from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Griffin Securities set a $53.00 target price on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. B. Riley Financial upped their price target on shares of American Public Education from $53.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of American Public Education from $48.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, American Public Education currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $55.50.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on American Public Education

American Public Education News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson raised its price target on APEI from $48 to $58 and maintained a “buy” rating — a meaningful institutional upgrade that supports further upside. Benzinga
Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets reported recent price-target increases (to $56 and $57), reinforcing analyst optimism and likely contributing to buying pressure. Price Target $56 Price Target $57
Positive Sentiment: Coverage from Zacks highlights upward earnings estimate revisions and argues APEI may be positioned for additional gains — analyst revisions often lead to multiple expansion and buying interest. Zacks
Positive Sentiment: News coverage praising APEI’s “stellar” Q4 performance and diversified portfolio growth reinforces the narrative that the company is delivering on revenue and margin improvements after its recent earnings beat and raised Q1 guidance. TheMarketIsOpen
Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reports for March show anomalous values (short interest reported as 0 shares and NaN changes). The data appears inconsistent and does not signal elevated short pressure at this time; treat these figures with caution. (Data entry timestamps: 3/16–3/17)
Neutral Sentiment: Misc. analyst note from Northland/AMBN coverage on Q1 estimates was published (informational); it provides context for near-term guidance expectations but no clear directional surprise. AmericanBankingNews

Institutional Trading of American Public Education

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in American Public Education by 4.3% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 9,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey grew its stake in American Public Education by 14.8% during the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 3,625 shares of the company’s stock worth $110,000 after buying an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP increased its holdings in American Public Education by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP now owns 7,432 shares of the company’s stock valued at $226,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in American Public Education by 40.5% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,914 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 552 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming raised its position in shares of American Public Education by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 12,209 shares of the company’s stock valued at $482,000 after buying an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.