As the demand for early childhood education professionals continues to rise nationwide, American Public Education, Inc.'s APEI subsidiary institution, Rasmussen University (RU), formed a partnership with ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) to address this critical need. This collaboration offers cost-saving opportunities and helps educators accelerate their degree completion.
CCEI, a well-known provider of online certificates and childcare training, serves more than 100,000 early childhood professionals. The corporate alliance will allow qualified students from CCEI to apply their knowledge and experience to Rasmussen University's Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs. It enables students to earn an ECE Associate's degree from Rasmussen for as low as $10,000. Self-directed assessments, course waivers for Child Development Associate CDA credential holders and tuition grant opportunities are key features of the program.
The alliance empowers early childhood educators to enhance their CDA credentials and pursue higher education. This initiative creates new opportunities for career growth and achievement. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, early childhood education jobs are expected to increase 15% from 2022 to 2032. The rate is faster than the average for all occupations. The alliance offers accessible pathways for aspiring educators and strengthens the field by preparing more professionals for leadership roles.
APEI’s YTD Price Performance
Shares of the company have surged 55.7% in the year-to-date period against the Zacks Schools industry’s 1.7% fall. The company is benefiting from consistent enrollment growth at American Public University System (APUS) and Hondros College of Nursing (HCN), along with improvement at Rasmussen segment. Also, select tuition and fee increases, combined with the positive impact of cost reductions and realignments, are additional benefits.
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Although American Public Education has faced challenges due to lower contributions from its RU and Graduate School USA (GSUSA) segments, the company is seeing growth in online enrollment. This increase in online students is helping to offset the decline in on-ground enrollment, providing some positive momentum for the company moving forward. For third-quarter 2024, online student enrollment is expected to rise 4% to 7,440 year over year.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
American Public currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Here are some better-ranked stocks from the Consumer Discretionary sector.
DoubleDown Interactive Co., Ltd. DDI currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
DDI has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 22.1%, on average. The stock has increased 63% in the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DDI’s 2024 sales and earnings per share (EPS) indicates an increase of 12.6% and 15.8%, respectively, from the year-ago levels.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. NCLH currently flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1. NCLH has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.7%, on average. The stock has moved up 23.9% in the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NCLH’s 2024 sales and EPS indicates an increase of 9.8% and 125.7%, respectively, from the year-ago levels.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). RCL has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 18.5%, on average. The stock has gained 92.9% in the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RCL’s 2024 sales and EPS indicates growth of 18.1% and 71.2%, respectively, from the year-ago levels.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
