American Public upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at William Blair

William Blair analyst Stephen Sheldon upgraded American Public Education (APEI) to Outperform from Market Perform without a price target The company’s Q4r results were strong, with the highest organic growth it has delivered since early 2021, and a notable beat on profit, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm says American Public has made significant progress improving first-time NCLEX pass rates, and management said this improvement has continued to translate into stronger enrollment trends at Rasmussen, a core driver of the improving profitability story. It cites an “encouraging profit inflection” at the company’s nursing colleges for the upgrade.