Volatility is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security or market index, it shows how the price swings around its mean. The volatility here is measured as the annualized standard deviation between monthly returns from the security over the past year. In most cases, the higher the volatility, the riskier the security.
American Public Education (NAS:APEI) Volatility Explanation
Volatility is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security or market index. It’s often measured as standard deviation or variance of historical returns over a certain period. The volatility here is measured as the annualized standard deviation between monthly returns from the security over the past year.
Volatility reflects the uncertainty or risk of a security’s value. Generally speaking, a higher volatility suggests a higher risk, because it implies a wider fluctuation around average price. This means the price of the security can change dramatically in either direction within a short period. Conversely, a lower volatility means that the security's price is more steady, which suggests a lower risk.
Another measurement of relative volatility is Beta. Beta is a measure of systematic risk of a security or a portfolio in comparison to the market as a whole. Beta is usually compared to 1. A beta of greater than 1 indicates that the security's price will be more volatile than the market.
American Public Education Volatility Related Terms
APEI vs PXED, AFYA, KLC: Volatility Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, American Public Education's Volatility, along with its competitors' market caps and Volatility 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 Volatility vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, American Public Education's Volatility distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where American Public Education's Volatility falls into.
American Public Education (NAS:APEI) Volatility Calculation
The annualized volatility is calculated as following:
σA
=
σM
*
√12
=
√ 1/(n-1) ∑(Ri - R')^2
*
√12
Where: σM is the monthly volatility, n is the number of months in the period, Ri is the security's historical monthly returns and R' is the arithmetic mean of monthly returns.
* 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 (APEI) has a Volatility of 46.51% as of Jun. 25, 2026. Volatility is measured as the annualized standard deviation between monthly returns from the security over the past year. View historical data on American Public Education and its competitors.
Is American Public Education's Volatility too high?
American Public Education's current Volatility is 46.51%. 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 Volatility compare to PXED and AFYA?
American Public Education's Volatility of 46.51% can be compared against companies in the Education industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Volatility for an Education company?
A good Volatility depends on the Education industry context. However, Volatility should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Volatility mean?
A high Volatility can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Volatility is measured as the annualized standard deviation between monthly returns from the security over the past year. View historical data on American Public Education and its competitors. American Public Education's current Volatility is 46.51%. 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 $20.36, compared to a current price of $52.18 — trading 156.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Volatility is 46.51%. 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 Volatility calculated?
Volatility is calculated from a company's financial statements. For American Public Education (APEI), the current Volatility is 46.51% as of Jun. 25, 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 $52.18 is trading 156.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $20.36.
GuruFocus considers American Public Education to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for APEI:
Volatility: 46.51%
GF Value™: $20.36 vs. price of $52.18 (156.3% above fair value)
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
Get the complete analysis for APEI
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