American Public Education Inc (APEI) Stock Analysis — PE Ratio, PS Ratio, Intrinsic Value & 2030 Price Target
American Public Education Inc stock (APEI) is currently trading at $56.18. American Public Education Inc PE ratio is 38.49. American Public Education Inc PS ratio (Price-to-Sales) is 1.53. Analyst consensus price target for APEI is $56.17. WallStSmart rates APEI as Underperform.
- APEI PE ratio analysis and historical PE chart
- APEI PS ratio (Price-to-Sales) history and trend
- APEI intrinsic value — DCF, Graham Number, EPV models
- APEI stock price prediction 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
- APEI fair value vs current price
- APEI insider transactions and insider buying
- Is APEI undervalued or overvalued?
- American Public Education Inc financial analysis — revenue, earnings, cash flow
- APEI Piotroski F-Score and Altman Z-Score
- APEI analyst price target and Smart Rating
American Public Education Inc
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APEI Intrinsic Value Analysis for Value Investors
Benjamin Graham Formula · American Public Education Inc (APEI)
APEI trades 47% above its Graham fair value of $29.46, indicating the stock may be overvalued at current levels.
Based on Benjamin Graham Formula. Growth rate capped at 25%. For informational purposes only. Not financial advice.
Smart Analysis
American Public Education Inc (APEI) · 10 metrics scored
Smart Score
Category Performance
WallStSmart pulls financial metrics like revenue growth, profit margins, and valuation ratios and scores each one from 0 to 10 based on how strong or weak it is. Those 10 scores are grouped into 4 categories: Growth, Profitability, Valuation, and Quality — which form the 4 axes of the spider chart you see. The categories are then combined into a final score out of 100, but not equally. Growth and Profitability together count for 60% of the total, because a fast-growing profitable business matters more than just a cheap one. That final number maps to a rating (Strong Buy, Buy, Hold, Avoid) and a letter grade, giving you one clear Stock Rating.
Investment Thesis
Strong fundamentals in price/sales, institutional own.. Concerns around revenue growth and profit margin. Mixed signals suggest waiting for clearer direction before acting.
American Public Education Inc (APEI) Key Strengths (2)
112.16% of shares held by major funds and institutions
Paying $1.53 for every $1 of annual revenue
Supporting Valuation Data
American Public Education Inc (APEI) Areas to Watch (8)
Revenue declining -3.50%, a shrinking business
Very thin margins, barely profitable
Thin operating margins with cost pressures present
Premium pricing at 3.4x book value
Modest earnings growth at 8.90%
Small-cap company with higher risk but more growth potential
Moderate profitability with room for improvement
Growth is fairly priced, not cheap, not expensive
Supporting Valuation Data
American Public Education Inc (APEI) Detailed Analysis Report
Overall Assessment
This company scores 47/100 in our Smart Analysis, earning a D+ grade. Out of 10 metrics analyzed, 2 register as strengths (avg 9.0/10) while 8 fall into concern territory (avg 3.8/10). The category breakdown reveals uneven performance, with some areas requiring attention.
The Bull Case
The strongest argument centers on Institutional Own., Price/Sales. Valuation metrics including Price/Sales (1.53) suggest the stock is attractively priced.
The Bear Case
The primary concerns are Revenue Growth, Profit Margin, Operating Margin. Some valuation metrics including PEG Ratio (1.53), Price/Book (3.36) suggest expensive pricing. Growth concerns include Revenue Growth at -3.50%, EPS Growth at 8.90%, which may limit upside. Profitability pressure is visible in Return on Equity at 10.50%, Operating Margin at 12.00%, Profit Margin at 4.86%.
Key Dynamics to Monitor
Three factors to monitor going forward. First, whether Revenue Growth improves, as this is the primary drag on the overall score. Second, margin trajectory, with Return on Equity at 10.50% needing improvement to support the investment thesis. Third, growth sustainability, with Revenue Growth at -3.50% needing to reaccelerate.
Risk Considerations
Based on the metric profile, this is a higher risk investment. There are more areas of concern than strength, warranting a more conservative position size. Investors should size positions according to their risk tolerance and maintain diversification.
Bottom Line
Fundamental challenges outweigh strengths at current levels. Revenue Growth and Profit Margin are the primary drags. Consider waiting for meaningful improvement before committing capital.
Disclaimer: Smart Analysis is a scoring system developed by WallStSmart Team. Scores update daily using multi-model valuation framework. Always conduct your own research and consult with financial advisors before making investment decisions.
APEI Price-to-Sales(PS) Ratio Chart
Historical valuation based on market cap ÷ trailing 12-month revenue
APEI's Price-to-Sales ratio of 1.53x trades 40% below its historical average of 2.55x (43th percentile). The current valuation is 92% below its historical high of 19.11x set in Nov 2007, and 1173% above its historical low of 0.12x in Oct 2023. Over the past 12 months, the PS ratio has expanded from ~0.7x, reflecting growing market expectations outpacing revenue growth.
Compare APEI with Competitors
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Data-driven financial summary for American Public Education Inc (APEI) · CONSUMER DEFENSIVE › EDUCATION & TRAINING SERVICES
The Big Picture
American Public Education Inc operates as a stable business with moderate growth and solid fundamentals. Revenue reached 649M with 4% decline year-over-year. Profit margins are thin at 4.9%, typical for companies in this phase that are reinvesting heavily in growth.
Key Findings
Free cash flow is -16M, meaning the company is burning cash. This may be acceptable for high-growth companies investing heavily.
What to Watch Next
Margin expansion: can American Public Education Inc push profit margins above 15% as the business scales?
Volatility is elevated with a beta of 1.66, so expect amplified moves relative to the broader market.
Sector dynamics: monitor EDUCATION & TRAINING SERVICES industry trends, competitive moves, and regulatory changes that could impact American Public Education Inc.
Bottom Line
American Public Education Inc offers stability with moderate growth and solid fundamentals. The valuation may present an opportunity for patient investors, though limited growth means returns will likely come from dividends and modest capital appreciation rather than explosive gains.
This synopsis is generated from publicly available financial data. It is not financial advice. Always conduct your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Insider Transactions
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About American Public Education Inc(APEI)
NASDAQ
CONSUMER DEFENSIVE
EDUCATION & TRAINING SERVICES
USA
American Public Education, Inc. offers postsecondary education online and on campus. The company is headquartered in Charles Town, West Virginia.