What is Northland Securities’ Estimate for APEI Q1 Earnings?

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) – Equities research analysts at Northland Securities issued their Q1 2027 earnings per share estimates for shares of American Public Education in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, March 25th. Northland Securities analyst L. Horton expects that the company will post earnings per share of $0.81 for the quarter. The consensus estimate for American Public Education’s current full-year earnings is $0.47 per share. Northland Securities also issued estimates for American Public Education’s Q4 2027 earnings at $1.05 EPS.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $158.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of American Public Education from $48.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Barrington Research boosted their price objective on shares of American Public Education from $51.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on American Public Education from $38.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered American Public Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Lake Street Capital lifted their target price on American Public Education from $47.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. One research 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $55.50.

American Public Education Price Performance

APEI opened at $57.42 on Friday. American Public Education has a 1 year low of $20.75 and a 1 year high of $59.42. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $46.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $39.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a PE ratio of 42.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 3.46 and a current ratio of 3.46.

Institutional Trading of American Public Education

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in APEI. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in American Public Education by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 9,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,000 after acquiring an additional 390 shares during the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey raised 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 valued at $110,000 after buying an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP grew its position in shares of American Public Education by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP now owns 7,432 shares of the company’s stock worth $226,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in shares of American Public Education by 40.5% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,914 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 552 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming raised its position in shares of American Public Education by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 12,209 shares of the company’s stock valued at $482,000 after acquiring an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other American Public Education news, CMO Karmela Gaffney sold 2,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 40,527 shares in the company, valued at $2,264,243.49. The trade was a 6.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Tanya Joy Axenson sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.68, for a total transaction of $1,113,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 49,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,779,378.56. The trade was a 28.61% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 377,071 shares of company stock valued at $20,753,569 over the last quarter. 17.54% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about American Public Education

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised a string of quarterly and annual EPS forecasts and reiterated a “Strong‑Buy” view — boosting FY2026 to $2.33 (from $2.07), FY2027 to $2.82 (from $2.57) and FY2028 to $3.18, and lifting several quarterly estimates (e.g., Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4 2027). These upward revisions signal stronger expected profitability and are a key reason for the stock’s move higher. MarketBeat APEI
• Positive Sentiment: Northland Securities raised its 2027 outlook and quarterly forecasts (examples: FY2027 ~$3.04, Q1 2027 ~$0.81, Q2/Q3 2027 ~ $0.56–0.63), reinforcing analyst bullishness on multi‑year earnings improvement and supporting higher share valuations.
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha included APEI among “Buy the Dip” candidates, highlighting the stock for investors looking for quality names that can rebound — a headline that can attract retail attention and buying interest. Buy The Dip: Best Stocks To Buy As Stagflation Fear Overshadows Growth Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks comparison piece weighing APEI vs. peer Strategic Education (STRA) may help investors reassess valuation and positioning but does not itself change fundamentals; useful background for relative-value buyers. STRA or APEI: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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.