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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and Vita Coco Company, Inc. (COCO). 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 $127.8M, roughly 1.2× Vita Coco Company, Inc.). AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC runs the higher net margin — 8.0% vs 4.3%, a 3.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Vita Coco Company, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (0.4% vs -3.5%). Vita Coco Company, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($-7.1M vs $-15.6M). Over the past eight quarters, Vita Coco Company, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (7.0% 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.

The Vita Coco Company, doing business simply as Vita Coco, is an American beverage company which mainly sells coconut water. The largest brand globally in coconut/plant waters, Vita Coco has operations in 31 countries as of 2016. It is a benefit corporation. The company is owned by All Market Inc.

APEI vs COCO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
APEI
APEI
1.2× larger
APEI
$158.3M
$127.8M
COCO
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
COCO
COCO
+3.9% gap
COCO
0.4%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
APEI
APEI
3.6% more per $
APEI
8.0%
4.3%
COCO
More free cash flow
COCO
COCO
$8.5M more FCF
COCO
$-7.1M
$-15.6M
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
COCO
COCO
Annualised
COCO
7.0%
1.3%
APEI

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Revenue
$158.3M
$127.8M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$5.5M
Gross Margin
56.4%
34.9%
Operating Margin
12.0%
8.0%
Net Margin
8.0%
4.3%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
0.4%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
64.0%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$0.10

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
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
$158.3M
$127.8M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$182.3M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$168.8M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$130.9M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$127.3M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$132.9M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$144.1M
Q1 24
$154.4M
$111.7M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
$12.6M
$5.5M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$24.0M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$22.9M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$18.9M
Q4 24
$13.0M
$3.4M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$19.3M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$19.1M
Q1 24
$516.0K
$14.2M
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
56.4%
34.9%
Q3 25
54.2%
37.7%
Q2 25
51.8%
36.3%
Q1 25
54.5%
36.7%
Q4 24
56.3%
32.5%
Q3 24
50.8%
38.8%
Q2 24
50.2%
40.8%
Q1 24
53.1%
42.2%
Operating Margin
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
12.0%
8.0%
Q3 25
5.9%
15.3%
Q2 25
4.3%
14.9%
Q1 25
7.4%
14.7%
Q4 24
13.1%
3.4%
Q3 24
2.7%
15.5%
Q2 24
1.5%
20.8%
Q1 24
3.4%
17.0%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
8.0%
4.3%
Q3 25
3.4%
13.2%
Q2 25
2.8%
13.6%
Q1 25
5.4%
14.4%
Q4 24
7.9%
2.6%
Q3 24
1.5%
14.5%
Q2 24
0.2%
13.2%
Q1 24
0.3%
12.7%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
$0.67
$0.10
Q3 25
$0.30
$0.40
Q2 25
$-0.02
$0.38
Q1 25
$0.41
$0.31
Q4 24
$0.63
$0.06
Q3 24
$0.04
$0.32
Q2 24
$-0.06
$0.32
Q1 24
$-0.06
$0.24

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
$196.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$331.5M
Total Assets
$521.4M
$461.2M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
$174.1M
$196.9M
Q3 25
$191.3M
$203.7M
Q2 25
$174.9M
$167.0M
Q1 25
$161.6M
$153.6M
Q4 24
$131.9M
$164.7M
Q3 24
$135.4M
$156.7M
Q2 24
$129.8M
$150.1M
Q1 24
$125.3M
$123.0M
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
$94.7M
Q3 25
$94.4M
Q2 25
$94.1M
Q1 25
$93.7M
Q4 24
$93.4M
Q3 24
$93.1M
Q2 24
$92.8M
Q1 24
$95.0M
Stockholders' Equity
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
$294.8M
$331.5M
Q3 25
$279.3M
$323.7M
Q2 25
$272.2M
$296.9M
Q1 25
$310.0M
$277.9M
Q4 24
$303.9M
$258.8M
Q3 24
$290.4M
$252.1M
Q2 24
$288.7M
$232.0M
Q1 24
$288.5M
$209.7M
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
$521.4M
$461.2M
Q3 25
$525.3M
$461.3M
Q2 25
$537.4M
$421.1M
Q1 25
$578.7M
$384.0M
Q4 24
$570.1M
$362.4M
Q3 24
$569.6M
$353.1M
Q2 24
$560.7M
$323.0M
Q1 24
$559.0M
$289.0M
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
0.32×
Q3 25
0.34×
Q2 25
0.35×
Q1 25
0.30×
Q4 24
0.31×
Q3 24
0.32×
Q2 24
0.32×
Q1 24
0.33×

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
COCO
COCO
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$-3.9M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
$-7.1M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
-5.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
2.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
-0.70×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M
$39.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$-3.9M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$39.1M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$21.8M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$-9.8M
Q4 24
$1.6M
$6.9M
Q3 24
$14.1M
$9.3M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$26.9M
Q1 24
$20.7M
$-267.0K
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
$-15.6M
$-7.1M
Q3 25
$17.5M
$35.6M
Q2 25
$11.1M
$20.9M
Q1 25
$33.1M
$-10.4M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
$6.8M
Q3 24
$7.8M
$8.9M
Q2 24
$7.3M
$26.6M
Q1 24
$14.5M
$-391.0K
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
-9.9%
-5.6%
Q3 25
10.7%
19.6%
Q2 25
6.8%
12.4%
Q1 25
20.1%
-7.9%
Q4 24
-1.1%
5.3%
Q3 24
5.1%
6.7%
Q2 24
4.7%
18.5%
Q1 24
9.4%
-0.4%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
2.6%
2.5%
Q3 25
2.6%
1.9%
Q2 25
2.3%
0.6%
Q1 25
2.4%
0.4%
Q4 24
2.0%
0.1%
Q3 24
4.1%
0.3%
Q2 24
3.4%
0.2%
Q1 24
4.0%
0.1%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
COCO
COCO
Q4 25
-0.92×
-0.70×
Q3 25
3.90×
1.63×
Q2 25
3.29×
0.95×
Q1 25
4.16×
-0.52×
Q4 24
0.12×
2.05×
Q3 24
6.22×
0.48×
Q2 24
33.57×
1.41×
Q1 24
40.20×
-0.02×

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%

COCO
COCO

Vita Coco Coconut Water$85.3M67%
Other$25.3M20%
Private Label$12.5M10%

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