American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Upgraded by B. Riley to “Strong-Buy” Rating

B. Riley upgraded shares of American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. William Blair upgraded shares of American Public Education from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on American Public Education from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of American Public Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Finally, Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $24.00 price target on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Friday, March 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, American Public Education presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $25.33.

American Public Education Price Performance

American Public Education stock opened at $22.48 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $404.55 million, a PE ratio of 40.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a current ratio of 2.65, a quick ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $21.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $19.32. American Public Education has a 12 month low of $11.80 and a 12 month high of $25.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Public Education news, SVP Thomas Beckett sold 3,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.07, for a total value of $81,659.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 60,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,329,783.71. This trade represents a 5.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 11.38% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Public Education

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Victory Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in American Public Education in the 3rd quarter valued at about $299,000. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 350.3% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 11,658 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,000 after purchasing an additional 9,069 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in American Public Education by 383.7% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 14,720 shares of the company’s stock valued at $217,000 after purchasing an additional 11,677 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its stake in American Public Education by 129.1% during the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 9,206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $136,000 after purchasing an additional 5,187 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Martingale Asset Management L P bought a new position in shares of American Public Education in the third quarter valued at $189,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.