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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. (DFIN). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($172.5M vs $158.3M, roughly 1.1× AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC). AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC runs the higher net margin — 8.0% vs 3.6%, a 4.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (10.4% vs -3.5%). Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($47.9M vs $-15.6M). Over the past eight quarters, AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC's revenue compounded faster (1.3% CAGR vs -7.9%).

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.

Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN) is a financial compliance company based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The company provides software as a service (SaaS) products, software-enabled services (SeS), print, and compliance services related to US Securities and Exchange Commission regulations to companies in capital and investment markets.

APEI vs DFIN — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
DFIN
DFIN
1.1× larger
DFIN
$172.5M
$158.3M
APEI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
DFIN
DFIN
+13.9% gap
DFIN
10.4%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
APEI
APEI
4.4% more per $
APEI
8.0%
3.6%
DFIN
More free cash flow
DFIN
DFIN
$63.5M more FCF
DFIN
$47.9M
$-15.6M
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
APEI
APEI
Annualised
APEI
1.3%
-7.9%
DFIN

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Revenue
$158.3M
$172.5M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$6.2M
Gross Margin
56.4%
Operating Margin
12.0%
8.3%
Net Margin
8.0%
3.6%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
10.4%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
-1.6%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$0.31

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
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
$158.3M
$172.5M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$175.3M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$218.1M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$201.1M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$156.3M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$179.5M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$242.7M
Q1 24
$154.4M
$203.4M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
$12.6M
$6.2M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$-40.9M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$36.1M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$31.0M
Q4 24
$13.0M
$6.3M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$8.7M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$44.1M
Q1 24
$516.0K
$33.3M
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
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
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
12.0%
8.3%
Q3 25
5.9%
16.1%
Q2 25
4.3%
24.2%
Q1 25
7.4%
22.8%
Q4 24
13.1%
6.0%
Q3 24
2.7%
10.1%
Q2 24
1.5%
26.6%
Q1 24
3.4%
21.9%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
8.0%
3.6%
Q3 25
3.4%
-23.3%
Q2 25
2.8%
16.6%
Q1 25
5.4%
15.4%
Q4 24
7.9%
4.0%
Q3 24
1.5%
4.8%
Q2 24
0.2%
18.2%
Q1 24
0.3%
16.4%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
$0.67
$0.31
Q3 25
$0.30
$-1.49
Q2 25
$-0.02
$1.28
Q1 25
$0.41
$1.05
Q4 24
$0.63
$0.21
Q3 24
$0.04
$0.29
Q2 24
$-0.06
$1.47
Q1 24
$-0.06
$1.09

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
$24.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
$171.3M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$379.2M
Total Assets
$521.4M
$800.4M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×
0.45×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
$174.1M
$24.5M
Q3 25
$191.3M
$22.7M
Q2 25
$174.9M
$33.8M
Q1 25
$161.6M
$16.2M
Q4 24
$131.9M
$57.3M
Q3 24
$135.4M
$33.6M
Q2 24
$129.8M
$35.0M
Q1 24
$125.3M
$43.7M
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
$94.7M
$171.3M
Q3 25
$94.4M
$154.7M
Q2 25
$94.1M
$190.1M
Q1 25
$93.7M
$189.5M
Q4 24
$93.4M
$124.7M
Q3 24
$93.1M
Q2 24
$92.8M
Q1 24
$95.0M
Stockholders' Equity
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
$294.8M
$379.2M
Q3 25
$279.3M
$423.1M
Q2 25
$272.2M
$432.1M
Q1 25
$310.0M
$419.9M
Q4 24
$303.9M
$436.1M
Q3 24
$290.4M
$444.5M
Q2 24
$288.7M
$441.5M
Q1 24
$288.5M
$408.9M
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
$521.4M
$800.4M
Q3 25
$525.3M
$816.3M
Q2 25
$537.4M
$874.7M
Q1 25
$578.7M
$852.8M
Q4 24
$570.1M
$841.6M
Q3 24
$569.6M
$843.6M
Q2 24
$560.7M
$882.9M
Q1 24
$559.0M
$867.8M
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
0.32×
0.45×
Q3 25
0.34×
0.37×
Q2 25
0.35×
0.44×
Q1 25
0.30×
0.45×
Q4 24
0.31×
0.29×
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
DFIN
DFIN
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$59.8M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
$47.9M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
27.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
6.9%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
9.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M
$107.8M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$59.8M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$74.4M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$68.4M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$-37.7M
Q4 24
$1.6M
$56.4M
Q3 24
$14.1M
$86.4M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$56.2M
Q1 24
$20.7M
$-27.9M
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
$-15.6M
$47.9M
Q3 25
$17.5M
$59.2M
Q2 25
$11.1M
$51.7M
Q1 25
$33.1M
$-51.0M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
$41.3M
Q3 24
$7.8M
$67.3M
Q2 24
$7.3M
$36.8M
Q1 24
$14.5M
$-40.2M
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
-9.9%
27.8%
Q3 25
10.7%
33.8%
Q2 25
6.8%
23.7%
Q1 25
20.1%
-25.4%
Q4 24
-1.1%
26.4%
Q3 24
5.1%
37.5%
Q2 24
4.7%
15.2%
Q1 24
9.4%
-19.8%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
2.6%
6.9%
Q3 25
2.6%
8.7%
Q2 25
2.3%
7.7%
Q1 25
2.4%
6.6%
Q4 24
2.0%
9.7%
Q3 24
4.1%
10.6%
Q2 24
3.4%
8.0%
Q1 24
4.0%
6.0%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
DFIN
DFIN
Q4 25
-0.92×
9.65×
Q3 25
3.90×
Q2 25
3.29×
1.89×
Q1 25
4.16×
-1.22×
Q4 24
0.12×
8.95×
Q3 24
6.22×
9.93×
Q2 24
33.57×
1.27×
Q1 24
40.20×
-0.84×

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%

DFIN
DFIN

Technology Service$68.0M39%
Capital Markets Compliance And Communications Management$61.6M36%
Investment Companies Software Solutions$30.9M18%
Print And Distribution Service$13.6M8%

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