APEI vs. LAUR

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

APEI (American Public Education, Inc.) and LAUR (Laureate Education, Inc.) are both stocks. Both operate in the Education & Training Services industry within the Consumer Defensive sector. Over the past 5 years, APEI returned 12.77%/yr vs 37.80%/yr for LAUR. At a 0.30 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

APEI vs. LAUR - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, APEI achieves a 38.31% return, which is significantly higher than LAUR's -1.87% return.

APEI

• 1D: 1.89%
• 1M: -10.20%
• YTD: 38.31%
• 6M: 47.93%
• 1Y: 78.80%
• 3Y*: 118.96%
• 5Y*: 12.77%
• 10Y*: 6.44%

LAUR

• 1D: -0.18%
• 1M: 5.76%
• YTD: -1.87%
• 6M: 5.76%
• 1Y: 45.29%
• 3Y*: 40.88%
• 5Y*: 37.80%
• 10Y*: —

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

APEI vs. LAUR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
APEI American Public Education, Inc.	38.31%	75.24%	123.52%	-21.48%	-44.76%	-27.00%	11.28%	-3.76%	13.61%	2.66%
LAUR Laureate Education, Inc.	-1.87%	84.09%	33.41%	50.20%	-4.08%	49.50%	-17.32%	15.55%	12.39%	2.34%

Correlation

The correlation between APEI and LAUR is 0.39, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.39
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.31
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 2, 2017	0.30

Fundamentals

EPS APEI : $2.18 LAUR : $2.52
PE Ratio APEI : 24.02 LAUR : 13.11
PEG Ratio APEI : 0.52 LAUR : 0.07
PS Ratio APEI : 1.47 LAUR : 2.11
Total Revenue (TTM) APEI : $659.05M LAUR : $1.74B
Gross Profit (TTM) APEI : $258.11M LAUR : $484.38M
EBITDA (TTM) APEI : $70.64M LAUR : $491.66M

Return for Risk

APEI vs. LAUR — 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: 82
APEI Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
APEI Martin Ratio Rank: 88

LAUR

LAUR Risk / Return Rank: 79
LAUR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
LAUR Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
LAUR Omega Ratio Rank: 77
LAUR Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
LAUR Martin Ratio Rank: 84

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. LAUR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) and Laureate Education, Inc. (LAUR). 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	LAUR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.86	1.45	+0.41
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.65	1.99	+0.67
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.33	1.28	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.48	2.87	+0.61
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.74	8.68	+2.06
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. LAUR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current APEI Sharpe Ratio is 1.86, which is comparable to the LAUR Sharpe Ratio of 1.45. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of APEI and LAUR, 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	LAUR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.86	1.45	+0.41
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.20	1.15	-0.95
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.11	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.04	0.51	-0.48

Drawdowns

APEI vs. LAUR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum APEI drawdown since its inception was -92.17%, which is greater than LAUR's maximum drawdown of -64.52%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for APEI and LAUR.

Drawdown Indicators

	APEI	LAUR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-92.17%	-64.52%	-27.65%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-22.30%	-16.33%	-5.97%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-40.52%	-16.33%	-24.19%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-87.00%	-25.33%	-61.67%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-91.44%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-14.10%	-8.15%	-5.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-40.52%	-14.96%	-25.56%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.22%	5.39%	+1.83%

Volatility

APEI vs. LAUR - Volatility Comparison

American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) has a higher volatility of 11.48% compared to Laureate Education, Inc. (LAUR) at 7.24%. This indicates that APEI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than LAUR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	APEI	LAUR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.48%	7.24%	+4.24%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	30.18%	23.51%	+6.67%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	42.53%	31.35%	+11.18%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	64.25%	33.19%	+31.06%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	58.98%	40.09%	+18.89%

Dividends

APEI vs. LAUR - Dividend Comparison

Neither APEI nor LAUR has paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
APEI American Public Education, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
LAUR Laureate Education, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	5.11%	22.77%	62.01%

Financials

APEI vs. LAUR - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between American Public Education, Inc. and Laureate Education, Inc. 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%.

LAUR - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Laureate Education, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 272.61M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

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%.

LAUR - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Laureate Education, Inc. reported an operating income of -21.59M and revenue of 272.61M, resulting in an operating margin of -7.9%.

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%.

LAUR - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Laureate Education, Inc. reported a net income of -21.59M and revenue of 272.61M, resulting in a net margin of -7.9%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both APEI and LAUR in my portfolio?

APEI and LAUR have a correlation of 0.39, 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 LAUR?

APEI has higher volatility (11.48%) compared to LAUR (7.24%). In terms of maximum drawdown, APEI dropped -92.17% vs LAUR's -64.52%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

APEI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.86 vs 1.45), 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.