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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES INC (CBL). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($158.3M vs $156.4M, roughly 1.0× CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES INC). CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES INC runs the higher net margin — 31.3% vs 8.0%, a 23.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (18.8% vs -3.5%). Over the past eight quarters, CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES INC's revenue compounded faster (10.1% CAGR vs 1.3%).

Strategic Education, Inc. (SEI) is an education services holding company and is formerly known as Strayer Education, Inc. The company owns for-profit, online Capella University and Strayer University, as well as non-degree programs schools such as DevMountain, Hackbright Academy, and Sophia Learning.

CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. is an American real estate investment trust that invests in shopping centers and shopping malls, primarily in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. The company is organized in Delaware with its headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its largest market is Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company's name is based on the initials of its founder, Charles B. Lebovitz.

APEI vs CBL — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
APEI
APEI
1.0× larger
APEI
$158.3M
$156.4M
CBL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CBL
CBL
+22.3% gap
CBL
18.8%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
CBL
CBL
23.4% more per $
CBL
31.3%
8.0%
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CBL
CBL
Annualised
CBL
10.1%
1.3%
APEI

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Revenue
$158.3M
$156.4M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$49.0M
Gross Margin
56.4%
Operating Margin
12.0%
Net Margin
8.0%
31.3%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
18.8%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
29.0%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$1.61

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
$158.3M
$156.4M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$139.3M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$140.9M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$141.8M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$131.7M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$125.1M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$129.7M
Q1 24
$154.4M
$129.1M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
$12.6M
$49.0M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$75.4M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$2.8M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$8.8M
Q4 24
$13.0M
$38.0M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$16.2M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$4.7M
Q1 24
$516.0K
$50.0K
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
56.4%
Q3 25
54.2%
Q2 25
51.8%
Q1 25
54.5%
Q4 24
56.3%
Q3 24
50.8%
Q2 24
50.2%
Q1 24
53.1%
Operating Margin
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
12.0%
Q3 25
5.9%
Q2 25
4.3%
Q1 25
7.4%
Q4 24
13.1%
Q3 24
2.7%
Q2 24
1.5%
Q1 24
3.4%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
8.0%
31.3%
Q3 25
3.4%
54.2%
Q2 25
2.8%
2.0%
Q1 25
5.4%
6.2%
Q4 24
7.9%
28.8%
Q3 24
1.5%
12.9%
Q2 24
0.2%
3.7%
Q1 24
0.3%
0.0%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
$0.67
$1.61
Q3 25
$0.30
$2.38
Q2 25
$-0.02
$0.08
Q1 25
$0.41
$0.27
Q4 24
$0.63
$1.22
Q3 24
$0.04
$0.52
Q2 24
$-0.06
$0.14
Q1 24
$-0.06
$-0.01

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
$42.3M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
$2.2B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$374.9M
Total Assets
$521.4M
$2.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×
5.79×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
$174.1M
$42.3M
Q3 25
$191.3M
$52.6M
Q2 25
$174.9M
$100.3M
Q1 25
$161.6M
$100.3M
Q4 24
$131.9M
$40.8M
Q3 24
$135.4M
$65.1M
Q2 24
$129.8M
$57.7M
Q1 24
$125.3M
$57.7M
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
$94.7M
$2.2B
Q3 25
$94.4M
$2.2B
Q2 25
$94.1M
$2.1B
Q1 25
$93.7M
$2.2B
Q4 24
$93.4M
$2.2B
Q3 24
$93.1M
$1.8B
Q2 24
$92.8M
$1.9B
Q1 24
$95.0M
$1.9B
Stockholders' Equity
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
$294.8M
$374.9M
Q3 25
$279.3M
$351.4M
Q2 25
$272.2M
$289.4M
Q1 25
$310.0M
$295.0M
Q4 24
$303.9M
$323.5M
Q3 24
$290.4M
$308.3M
Q2 24
$288.7M
$308.8M
Q1 24
$288.5M
$324.2M
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
$521.4M
$2.7B
Q3 25
$525.3M
$2.7B
Q2 25
$537.4M
$2.6B
Q1 25
$578.7M
$2.6B
Q4 24
$570.1M
$2.7B
Q3 24
$569.6M
$2.2B
Q2 24
$560.7M
$2.3B
Q1 24
$559.0M
$2.3B
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
0.32×
5.79×
Q3 25
0.34×
6.21×
Q2 25
0.35×
7.39×
Q1 25
0.30×
7.29×
Q4 24
0.31×
6.84×
Q3 24
0.32×
5.76×
Q2 24
0.32×
6.00×
Q1 24
0.33×
5.74×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$249.7M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
5.10×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$249.7M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$69.6M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$68.3M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$31.7M
Q4 24
$1.6M
$202.2M
Q3 24
$14.1M
$61.1M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$64.2M
Q1 24
$20.7M
$30.7M
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
$-15.6M
Q3 25
$17.5M
Q2 25
$11.1M
Q1 25
$33.1M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
Q3 24
$7.8M
$46.0M
Q2 24
$7.3M
$54.8M
Q1 24
$14.5M
$24.7M
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
-9.9%
Q3 25
10.7%
Q2 25
6.8%
Q1 25
20.1%
Q4 24
-1.1%
Q3 24
5.1%
36.8%
Q2 24
4.7%
42.2%
Q1 24
9.4%
19.1%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
2.6%
Q3 25
2.6%
Q2 25
2.3%
Q1 25
2.4%
Q4 24
2.0%
Q3 24
4.1%
12.1%
Q2 24
3.4%
7.3%
Q1 24
4.0%
4.7%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
CBL
CBL
Q4 25
-0.92×
5.10×
Q3 25
3.90×
0.92×
Q2 25
3.29×
24.74×
Q1 25
4.16×
3.60×
Q4 24
0.12×
5.32×
Q3 24
6.22×
3.77×
Q2 24
33.57×
13.54×
Q1 24
40.20×
614.76×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

APEI
APEI

American Public Education Inc Segment$71.0M45%
Rasmussen University Segment$66.6M42%
Hondros College Of Nursing Segment$20.7M13%

CBL
CBL

Segment breakdown not available.

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