American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) fair value analysis
Nasdaq · Updated 2026-10-19
APEI price how computed
Forward Fair Value verdict
UndervaluedAPEI is trading at a 10–25% discount to estimated fair value.
Based on TickrTrends' weekly Forward Fair Value model.
- Last price
- $49.19
- Sector
- Consumer Defensive
- 12-month range
- $30.67–$60.86
- Market cap
- $900M
- From 52-week high
- -19.2%
- Shares outstanding
- 18.3M
- Rank in Consumer Defensive by discount to fair value
- #22 of 61
Last price is our stored weekly price from 2026-10-16, older than the 2026-10-19 run that built this page; the chart runs through 2026-10-16.
American Public Education, Inc. operates post-secondary educational institutions that provide degree and certificate programs to students through both traditional and online delivery methods. The company serves students across the United States primarily through its subsidiaries American Public University System and Rasmussen University.
APEI currently ranks #22 of 61 Consumer Defensive stocks by discount to fair value. It has screened as Undervalued for 14 consecutive weekly runs.
Fundamentals (4 quarters) how computed
- Market cap
- $900M
- P/E (trailing)
- 16x
- Revenue (TTM)
- $668M
- Net margin
- 6.8%
- EPS (TTM)
- $3.13
- Gross margin
- 55.4%
- Debt / equity
- 0.47
- Revenue growth (3-yr avg)
- 4.6%
- Shares outstanding
- 18.3M
Derived indicators how computed
- Quality grade
- B
- Margin trend
- Expanding
- 52-week position
- The upper-middle quarter of its range
- DCF cross-check
- Overvalued
Technicals how computed
- RSI (14-day)
- 66 · neutral
- 50-day average
- $45.21
- 200-day average
- $49.36
- Moving-average state
- 50-day below 200-day (death cross state); price between the averages
- Momentum score
- 70 · grade B
- Positive weeks (of 12)
- 3
Earnings how computed
- Next earnings report
- 2026-11-09
- Last 8 quarters vs consensus
- 8 beat, 0 missed
- Quarter by quarter
- 2026-06 ▲ beat (+44.4%)
2026-03 ▲ beat (+60.8%)
2025-12 ▲ beat (+71.8%)
2025-09 ▲ beat (+145.5%)
2025-06 ▲ beat (+300.0%)
2025-03 ▲ beat (+106.7%)
2024-12 ▲ beat (+26.0%)
2024-09 ▲ beat (+30.8%)
Analyst consensus how computed
This is not TickrTrends' verdict.
- Analyst ratings
- 6 buy · 1 hold · 0 sell (7 analysts)
- Consensus lean
- Buy-leaning
- Consensus price target
- $62.8
- Target vs last price
- +27.7%
What our data shows for APEI
- Our model validated 13 trailing price-to-earnings windows for APEI, built from quarterly earnings records.
- Shares are trading in the middle of their 12-month price range of $30.67–$60.86.
- The 14-day relative strength index sits at a neutral 66.
- 3 of the last 12 weekly snapshots showed positive price momentum.
The exact numbers are one step away
- The precise Forward Fair Value dollar figure for APEI
- Exact discount / premium to today's price
- The normalized historical P/E behind the estimate, and how many quarters support it
- Forward EPS input and fiscal-year basis
- Screeners and rankings across the full S&P 500 and Nasdaq universes
Forward Fair Value applies a conservatively normalized historical price-to-earnings multiple to the consensus earnings estimate for the next full fiscal year; how TickrTrends computes it.
Recent APEI news
TickrTrends' derived news-sentiment signal for APEI is currently leaning positive, computed from recent coverage.
- American Public Education: Operating Leverage Leads To Share Gains (NASDAQ:APEI) (seekingalpha.com, 2026-10-20)
TickrTrends take: American Public Education operates in the Consumer Defensive sector, where stable cash flows and predictable demand typically support valuation multiples. TickrTrends currently identifies APEI as undervalued, which suggests the market may not be fully pricing in the benefits of operating leverage that could expand margins as the company scales revenue. Investors focused on valuation should monitor whether the company successfully converts revenue growth into bottom-line earnings expansion, as this operational efficiency would be a key factor in justifying any rerating toward fair value.
What people are saying
Follow the APEI conversation: Stocktwits · Reddit · X
TickrTrends weekly updates
- 2026-10-19 — # APEI Summary TickrTrends' derived indicators for APEI showed momentum improving this week, moving from none to a B rating. The stock in the Consumer Defensive sector maintains an undervalued valuation verdict as of the current assessment period.
- 2026-10-12 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-11 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-10 — APEI's valuation indicators showed mixed movement this week. The 50/200-day trend state shifted from downtrend to mixed, while the quality grade improved from C to B, suggesting some operational strengthening. However, the stock's sector discount rank declined from 18 to 31, indicating it has become relatively less discounted compared to other Consumer Defensive sector peers, though it maintains an overall undervalued assessment.
- 2026-10-05 — TickrTrends' derived indicators for APEI show a shift in valuation positioning this week. The sector discount rank moved from number 13 to number 18, indicating the stock has become relatively less discounted within the Consumer Defensive sector. Despite this change in ranking, the current valuation verdict remains Undervalued.
- 2026-09-28 — APEI's sector discount rank improved this week, moving from #18 to #13 among Consumer Defensive stocks. This means the stock is now trading at a larger discount relative to its peers in the sector. The current valuation verdict remains Undervalued.
- 2026-09-21 — APEI's valuation remains undervalued according to current assessment. The 50/200-day trend state deteriorated this week from mixed conditions to a downtrend, indicating a shift toward weaker momentum in the Consumer Defensive sector stock.
- 2026-09-17 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
Frequently asked questions
Is APEI stock undervalued?
Based on TickrTrends' Forward Fair Value model (updated 2026-10-19), APEI is trading at a 10–25% discount to estimated fair value and screens as undervalued. The exact fair value and discount are available to subscribers.
What is APEI's TickrTrends verdict?
APEI's current verdict is Undervalued, refreshed with every weekly Forward Fair Value run.
How does APEI compare to other Consumer Defensive stocks?
APEI ranks #22 of 61 Consumer Defensive stocks in TickrTrends' coverage by discount to fair value.
Is APEI overbought or oversold?
APEI's 14-day RSI is in neutral territory - neither overbought nor oversold.
When does APEI report earnings next?
APEI's next earnings report is scheduled for 2026-11-09, per the published earnings calendar.
Does APEI usually beat earnings estimates?
Over its last 8 reported quarters APEI beat the consensus estimate 8 times and missed 0 times, by TickrTrends' comparison of reported and estimated EPS.
What do analysts say about APEI?
Of 7 analysts covering APEI, 6 rate it a buy, 1 a hold and 0 a sell - buy-leaning, with a consensus price target of $62.8 (+27.7% versus TickrTrends' last price). This is the analyst consensus, not TickrTrends' Forward Fair Value verdict.
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