Short Interest in American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) Drops By 13.2%

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 691,500 shares, a drop of 13.2% from the February 13th total of 796,800 shares. Currently, 4.2% of the company's shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 106,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 6.5 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com raised American Public Education from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of American Public Education from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $24.00 price objective on shares of American Public Education in a report on Friday, March 7th. Finally, William Blair raised shares of American Public Education from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $24.33.

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American Public Education Stock Performance

American Public Education stock traded down $0.28 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $22.63. 60,797 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 166,398. The stock has a market cap of $407.25 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.30. American Public Education has a 12-month low of $11.80 and a 12-month high of $25.60. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $21.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 2.65 and a current ratio of 2.65.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Thomas Beckett sold 3,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owns 60,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,329,783.71. This represents a 5.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 11.38% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Public Education

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of APEI. New York State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of American Public Education during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of American Public Education in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Public Education in the fourth quarter valued at about $121,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in American Public Education during the fourth quarter worth about $124,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in American Public Education by 129.1% during the third quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 9,206 shares of the company's stock worth $136,000 after buying an additional 5,187 shares during the period. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Public Education Company Profile

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.