APEI
American Public Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive - Education & Training Services Investor Relations →
American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) closed at $44.89 as of 2026-02-02, trading 161.5% above its 200-week moving average of $17.17. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 145.0% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 72, APEI is in overbought territory.
Over the past 904 weeks of data, APEI has crossed below its 200-week moving average 23 times. On average, these episodes lasted 25 weeks. Historically, investors who bought APEI at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +1.2%.
With a market cap of $812 million, APEI is a small-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 10.1%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at 11.2%. The stock trades at 2.9x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 5.3% over the past three years.
Over the past 17.4 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in APEI would have grown to $101, compared to $980 for the S&P 500. APEI has returned 0.1% annualized vs 14.0% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 84.3% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: APEI vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After APEI Crosses Below the Line?
Across 23 historical episodes, buying APEI when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of -2.9% after 12 months (median -9.0%), compared to +22.3% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 35% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was -22.4% vs +34.4% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment APEI crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
APEI has crossed below its 200-week MA 23 times with an average 1-year return of +1.2% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2008 | Oct 2008 | 1 | 4.4% | -4.0% | +20.1% |
| Nov 2008 | Nov 2008 | 2 | 4.2% | -14.5% | +15.8% |
| Dec 2008 | Feb 2009 | 7 | 5.7% | -12.5% | +19.8% |
| Feb 2009 | Mar 2009 | 2 | 5.4% | +15.8% | +20.2% |
| Apr 2009 | Jan 2010 | 40 | 18.0% | +28.6% | +25.1% |
| Aug 2010 | Feb 2011 | 27 | 36.4% | +53.5% | +55.0% |
| Aug 2011 | Aug 2011 | 1 | 9.8% | -1.9% | +28.8% |
| Sep 2011 | Nov 2011 | 11 | 16.6% | +1.2% | +16.5% |
| Feb 2012 | Oct 2012 | 31 | 32.2% | -5.4% | +17.3% |
| Oct 2012 | Jan 2013 | 13 | 13.8% | +5.8% | +28.5% |
| Feb 2013 | May 2013 | 11 | 19.4% | -2.2% | +24.0% |
| Jun 2013 | Jul 2013 | 2 | 0.8% | -8.0% | +21.2% |
| Aug 2013 | Aug 2013 | 1 | 0.4% | -20.3% | +20.3% |
| Sep 2013 | Oct 2013 | 3 | 4.2% | -26.4% | +21.5% |
| Feb 2014 | Nov 2017 | 196 | 54.7% | -8.5% | +26.7% |
| Dec 2017 | Feb 2018 | 9 | 4.9% | +12.3% | +73.7% |
| Aug 2019 | May 2020 | 40 | 24.1% | +16.8% | +72.3% |
| Sep 2020 | Sep 2020 | 3 | 4.1% | -3.7% | +64.9% |
| Oct 2020 | Nov 2020 | 1 | 0.9% | -11.6% | +58.8% |
| Jan 2021 | Feb 2021 | 1 | 0.9% | -26.8% | +56.0% |
| Mar 2021 | Mar 2021 | 1 | 4.8% | -29.3% | +61.4% |
| May 2021 | Jul 2024 | 165 | 82.9% | -50.2% | +64.0% |
| Aug 2024 | Nov 2024 | 13 | 21.4% | +118.5% | +228.9% |
| Average | 25 | — | +1.2% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02