APEI vs. AER

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

APEI (American Public Education, Inc.) and AER (AerCap Holdings N.V.) are both stocks. APEI operates in Education & Training Services (Consumer Defensive), while AER operates in Airports & Air Services (Industrials). Over the past 10 years, APEI returned 6.46%/yr vs 13.65%/yr for AER. At a 0.27 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

APEI vs. AER - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) and AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, APEI achieves a 38.60% return, which is significantly higher than AER's -5.93% return. Over the past 10 years, APEI has underperformed AER with an annualized return of 6.46%, while AER has yielded a comparatively higher 13.65% annualized return.

APEI

• 1D: 0.21%
• 1M: -8.95%
• YTD: 38.60%
• 6M: 50.24%
• 1Y: 79.79%
• 3Y*: 119.12%
• 5Y*: 13.00%
• 10Y*: 6.46%

AER

• 1D: 0.34%
• 1M: -2.07%
• YTD: -5.93%
• 6M: -2.10%
• 1Y: 17.43%
• 3Y*: 32.57%
• 5Y*: 18.99%
• 10Y*: 13.65%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

APEI vs. AER - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
APEI American Public Education, Inc.	38.60%	75.24%	123.52%	-21.48%	-44.76%	-27.00%	11.28%	-3.76%	13.61%	2.04%
AER AerCap Holdings N.V.	-5.93%	51.66%	29.81%	27.43%	-10.85%	43.53%	-25.85%	55.23%	-24.73%	26.44%

Correlation

The correlation between APEI and AER is 0.24, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.24
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.21
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 12, 2007	0.27

Fundamentals

Market Cap APEI : $985.14M AER : $22.18B
EPS APEI : $2.18 AER : $22.98
PE Ratio APEI : 24.08 AER : 5.85
PEG Ratio APEI : 0.52 AER : 0.15
PS Ratio APEI : 1.48 AER : 2.83
PB Ratio APEI : 3.22 AER : 1.21
Total Revenue (TTM) APEI : $659.05M AER : $8.11B
Gross Profit (TTM) APEI : $258.11M AER : $4.29B
EBITDA (TTM) APEI : $70.64M AER : $6.71B

Return for Risk

APEI vs. AER — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

APEI

APEI Risk / Return Rank: 85
APEI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
APEI Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
APEI Omega Ratio Rank: 83
APEI Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
APEI Martin Ratio Rank: 88

AER

AER Risk / Return Rank: 61
AER Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
AER Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
AER Omega Ratio Rank: 56
AER Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
AER Martin Ratio Rank: 66

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

APEI vs. AER - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) and AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	APEI	AER	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.89	0.70	+1.18
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.67	1.16	+1.51
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.14	+0.19
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.60	1.18	+2.41
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.13	3.20	+7.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

APEI vs. AER - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current APEI Sharpe Ratio is 1.89, which is higher than the AER Sharpe Ratio of 0.70. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of APEI and AER, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	APEI	AER	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.89	0.70	+1.18
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.20	0.59	-0.39
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.11	0.33	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.04	0.19	-0.16

Drawdowns

APEI vs. AER - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum APEI drawdown since its inception was -92.17%, roughly equal to the maximum AER drawdown of -94.38%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for APEI and AER.

Drawdown Indicators

	APEI	AER	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-92.17%	-94.38%	+2.21%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-22.30%	-14.77%	-7.53%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-40.52%	-15.66%	-24.86%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-87.00%	-45.14%	-41.86%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-91.44%	-75.86%	-15.58%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.92%	-12.65%	-1.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-40.51%	-28.39%	-12.12%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.26%	5.46%	+1.80%

Volatility

APEI vs. AER - Volatility Comparison

American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) has a higher volatility of 11.48% compared to AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER) at 9.54%. This indicates that APEI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AER based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	APEI	AER	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.48%	9.54%	+1.94%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	30.16%	20.14%	+10.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	42.52%	24.89%	+17.63%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	64.25%	32.31%	+31.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	58.97%	41.91%	+17.06%

Dividends

APEI vs. AER - Dividend Comparison

APEI has not paid dividends to shareholders, while AER's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.00%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024
AER AerCap Holdings N.V.	1.00%	0.75%	0.78%
APEI American Public Education, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

APEI vs. AER - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between American Public Education, Inc. and AerCap Holdings N.V. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

APEI - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American Public Education, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 174.74M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

AER - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, AerCap Holdings N.V. reported a gross profit of 1.41B and revenue of 2.16B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 65.4%.

APEI - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American Public Education, Inc. reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 174.74M, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

AER - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, AerCap Holdings N.V. reported an operating income of 1.28B and revenue of 2.16B, resulting in an operating margin of 59.3%.

APEI - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American Public Education, Inc. reported a net income of 17.73M and revenue of 174.74M, resulting in a net margin of 10.2%.

AER - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, AerCap Holdings N.V. reported a net income of 818.12M and revenue of 2.16B, resulting in a net margin of 37.8%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both APEI and AER in my portfolio?

APEI and AER have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, APEI or AER?

APEI has higher volatility (11.48%) compared to AER (9.54%). In terms of maximum drawdown, APEI dropped -92.17% vs AER's -94.38%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

APEI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.89 vs 0.70), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.