American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Barrington Research upped their target price on American Public Education from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. B. Riley upped their price target on American Public Education from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 30th.

American Public Education Trading Down 27.9 %

American Public Education stock traded down $4.77 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $12.30. 1,587,826 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 216,658. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 2.81 and a quick ratio of 2.81. American Public Education has a 52-week low of $4.05 and a 52-week high of $21.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $216.17 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.31. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $17.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.93.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.19) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $154.43 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $152.34 million. American Public Education had a negative net margin of 6.78% and a positive return on equity of 5.97%. On average, analysts anticipate that American Public Education will post 0.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Craig S. Macgibbon sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.40, for a total value of $27,600.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 41,783 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $768,807.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Craig S. Macgibbon sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.40, for a total value of $27,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 41,783 shares in the company, valued at $768,807.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Craig S. Macgibbon sold 6,519 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.35, for a total transaction of $113,104.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 37,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $654,979.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 11.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of APEI. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in American Public Education by 5,036.3% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 87,830 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,246,000 after purchasing an additional 86,120 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Public Education in the first quarter worth $799,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in American Public Education during the first quarter valued at $2,159,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in American Public Education in the first quarter valued at about $141,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in American Public Education in the fourth quarter valued at about $137,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.62% of the company’s stock.

About American Public Education

American Public Education, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides online and campus-based postsecondary education and career learning in the United States. It operates through three segments: American Public University System, Rasmussen University, and Hondros College of Nursing. The company offers 184 degree programs and 134 certificate programs in various fields of study, including nursing, national security, military studies, intelligence, homeland security, business, health science, information technology, justice studies, education, and liberal arts; and career learning opportunities in leadership, finance, human resources, and other fields of study critical to the federal government workforce.