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In calculating the Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC), Benjamin Graham assumed that a company's accounts receivable is only worth 75% its value, its inventory is only worth 50% of its value, but its liabilities have to be paid in full. In addition, Graham believed that preferred stock belongs on the liability side of the balance sheet, not as part of capital and surplus. This is a conservative way of estimating the company's value.
American Public Education's Net-Net Working Capital for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $0.81.
The industry rank for American Public Education's Net-Net Working Capital or its related term are showing as below:
APEI's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital is ranked worse than 91.21% of 91
companies
in the Education industry
Industry Median: 5.14
vs APEI: 63.12
American Public Education (NAS:APEI) Net-Net Working Capital Explanation
One research study, covering the years 1970 through 1983 showed that portfolios picked at the beginning of each year, and held for one year, returned 29.4 percent, on average, over the 13-year period, compared to 11.5 percent for the S&P 500 Index. Other studies of Graham's strategy produced similar results.
Benjamin Graham looked for companies whose market values were less than two-thirds of their net-net value. They are collected under our Net-Net screener.
American Public Education Net-Net Working Capital Related Terms
American Public Education Net-Net Working Capital Historical Data
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The historical data trend for American Public Education's Net-Net Working Capital can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
American Public Education Net-Net Working Capital Chart
APEI vs PXED, KLC, AFYA: Net-Net Working Capital Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, American Public Education's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital, along with its competitors' market caps and Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
American Public Education Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, American Public Education's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where American Public Education's Price-to-Net-Net-Working-Capital falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In calculating the Net-Net Working Capital (NNWC), Benjamin Graham assumed that a company's accounts receivable is only worth 75% its value, its inventory is only worth 50% of its value, but its liabilities have to be paid in full.
In addition, Graham believed that preferred stock belongs on the liability side of the balance sheet, not as part of capital and surplus. In "Security Analysis", preferred stock is dubbed "an imperfect creditorship position" that is best placed on the balance sheet alongside funded debt.
This is a conservative way of estimating the company's value.
What does a Net-Net Working Capital of $0.81 mean?
American Public Education (APEI) has a Net-Net Working Capital of $0.81 as of Mar. 2026. Ben Graham defined net-net working capital as the per-share sum of cash, 75% of receivables and 50% of inventory less total liabilities. View historical data on American Public Education According to the industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #83 out of 91 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 91.2%.
Is American Public Education's Net-Net Working Capital too high?
American Public Education's current Net-Net Working Capital is $0.81. The Education industry median Net-Net Working Capital is 5.14. American Public Education's value of $0.81 is 84.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #83 out of 91 companies in the Education industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, American Public Education has a GF Score™ of 69/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does American Public Education's Net-Net Working Capital compare to PXED and KLC?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #83 out of 91 companies for Net-Net Working Capital. This places American Public Education in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Net-Net Working Capital is 5.14. American Public Education's value of $0.81 is 84.2% below this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Net-Net Working Capital for an Education company?
The median Net-Net Working Capital among Education companies is 5.14, based on 91 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Net-Net Working Capital significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Net-Net Working Capital should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. American Public Education's current Net-Net Working Capital of $0.81 is 84.2% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Net-Net Working Capital mean?
A high Net-Net Working Capital can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Ben Graham defined net-net working capital as the per-share sum of cash, 75% of receivables and 50% of inventory less total liabilities. View historical data on American Public Education For the Education industry, the median Net-Net Working Capital is 5.14 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. American Public Education's current Net-Net Working Capital is $0.81. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is American Public Education stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, American Public Education (APEI) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $20.48, compared to a current price of $51.13 — trading 149.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Net-Net Working Capital is $0.81 and 84.2% below the Education industry median of 5.14. American Public Education's overall GF Score™ is 69/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Net-Net Working Capital calculated?
Net-Net Working Capital is calculated from a company's financial statements. For American Public Education (APEI), the current Net-Net Working Capital is $0.81 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is American Public Education (APEI) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, American Public Education stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $51.13 is trading 149.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $20.48.
GuruFocus considers American Public Education to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for APEI:
Net-Net Working Capital: $0.81
GF Value™: $20.48 vs. price of $51.13 (149.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 84.2% below the Education median (#83 of 91)
No single metric tells the full story. See the APEI stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
American Public Education Inc provides online and campus based postsecondary education including various undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The fields of study include business administration, health science, technology, criminal justice, education, liberal arts, national security, military studies, intelligence, and homeland security. There are three reporting segments: the American Public University segment which is the key revenue generator, provides online postsecondary education as a distance-learning, graduate-level institution for military officers seeking a degree in military studies; the Rasmussen University Segment and the Hondros College of Nursing segment. The revenue is generated from net course registrations and enrollment, tuition rate, net tuition, and other fees.
69GF Score
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