Equities Analysts Offer Predictions for APEI FY2026 Earnings

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) – Analysts at Zacks Research lifted their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for American Public Education in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, January 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $2.07 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $2.04. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for American Public Education’s current full-year earnings is $0.47 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for American Public Education’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.87 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.53 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.55 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.62 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.86 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.57 EPS.

APEI has been the topic of a number of other reports. Northland Securities upped their price target on American Public Education from $38.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 25th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $40.00 target price on shares of American Public Education in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Monday, December 29th. B. Riley raised their price target on American Public Education from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Lake Street Capital boosted their price target on American Public Education from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $40.57.

American Public Education Trading Up 4.2%

NASDAQ:APEI opened at $40.50 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $732.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.68, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.72. American Public Education has a 52 week low of $18.76 and a 52 week high of $40.96. The company has a quick ratio of 2.84, a current ratio of 2.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $36.48 and a 200 day moving average of $34.14.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.09) by $0.39. The business had revenue of $163.22 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $160.02 million. American Public Education had a net margin of 4.87% and a return on equity of 11.75%. American Public Education has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.320-0.450 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Public Education

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of APEI. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in American Public Education by 9.6% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 10,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $399,000 after buying an additional 923 shares during the last quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC purchased a new position in shares of American Public Education during the fourth quarter worth $1,351,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in American Public Education by 1,667.5% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 180,835 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,836,000 after purchasing an additional 170,604 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co. boosted its holdings in American Public Education by 23.7% in the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 7,197 shares of the company’s stock valued at $272,000 after purchasing an additional 1,381 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in American Public Education by 36.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 11,604 shares of the company’s stock valued at $458,000 after purchasing an additional 3,109 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.62% of the company’s stock.

More American Public Education News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded APEI from “Hold” to “Strong‑Buy” and steadily raised quarterly and full‑year EPS forecasts (Q1–Q4 2026/27 and FY2026/27), lifting FY2027 to $2.57 from $2.52 — signaling stronger expected profitability and supporting a higher valuation. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks’ incremental increases to near‑term quarter EPS (examples: Q1 2027 to $0.53, Q2 2027 to $0.55, Q3 2027 to $0.62, Q4 2027 to ~$0.86–0.87) imply improved underlying trends or margin expectations that can support upside to estimates and multiple expansion. TickerReport
• Positive Sentiment: Lake Street reiterated its Buy rating on APEI, which reinforces institutional support and may sustain positive sentiment among investors. Lake Street Reaffirms Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Northland Securities also remains a Buy on APEI, adding further third‑party validation that can attract momentum buyers and institutional interest. Northland Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus currently sits materially lower (the provided consensus is $0.47 for the current year), so while Zacks’ raised forecasts are bullish, broader analyst consensus may take time to shift — keep an eye for additional firms updating estimates to confirm a durable re‑rating.

American Public Education Company Profile

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.