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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and FIRST MID BANCSHARES, INC. (FMBH). 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 $88.2M, roughly 1.8× FIRST MID BANCSHARES, INC.). FIRST MID BANCSHARES, INC. runs the higher net margin — 26.8% vs 8.0%, a 18.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, FIRST MID BANCSHARES, INC. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (3.4% vs -3.5%). FIRST MID BANCSHARES, INC. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($124.0M vs $-15.6M). Over the past eight quarters, FIRST MID BANCSHARES, INC.'s revenue compounded faster (5.0% 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.

First Mid Bancshares Inc. is a U.S.-headquartered regional financial services holding company. It provides full-range retail and commercial banking products, wealth management, insurance solutions, and agricultural financing, mainly serving individual consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and agricultural clients across multiple Midwestern states including Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana.

APEI vs FMBH — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
APEI
APEI
1.8× larger
APEI
$158.3M
$88.2M
FMBH
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
FMBH
FMBH
+6.9% gap
FMBH
3.4%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
FMBH
FMBH
18.9% more per $
FMBH
26.8%
8.0%
APEI
More free cash flow
FMBH
FMBH
$139.6M more FCF
FMBH
$124.0M
$-15.6M
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
FMBH
FMBH
Annualised
FMBH
5.0%
1.3%
APEI

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Revenue
$158.3M
$88.2M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$23.7M
Gross Margin
56.4%
Operating Margin
12.0%
34.0%
Net Margin
8.0%
26.8%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
3.4%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
23.5%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$0.98

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
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
$158.3M
$88.2M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$89.3M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$87.5M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$84.3M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$85.3M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$80.6M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$79.2M
Q1 24
$154.4M
$79.9M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
$12.6M
$23.7M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$22.5M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$23.4M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$22.2M
Q4 24
$13.0M
$19.2M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$19.5M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$19.7M
Q1 24
$516.0K
$20.5M
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
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
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
12.0%
34.0%
Q3 25
5.9%
32.2%
Q2 25
4.3%
34.4%
Q1 25
7.4%
33.4%
Q4 24
13.1%
29.7%
Q3 24
2.7%
31.5%
Q2 24
1.5%
33.7%
Q1 24
3.4%
33.7%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
8.0%
26.8%
Q3 25
3.4%
25.2%
Q2 25
2.8%
26.8%
Q1 25
5.4%
26.3%
Q4 24
7.9%
22.5%
Q3 24
1.5%
24.2%
Q2 24
0.2%
24.9%
Q1 24
0.3%
25.6%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
$0.67
$0.98
Q3 25
$0.30
$0.94
Q2 25
$-0.02
$0.98
Q1 25
$0.41
$0.93
Q4 24
$0.63
$0.81
Q3 24
$0.04
$0.81
Q2 24
$-0.06
$0.82
Q1 24
$-0.06
$0.86

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
$354.5M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$958.7M
Total Assets
$521.4M
$8.0B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×
0.37×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
$174.1M
Q3 25
$191.3M
Q2 25
$174.9M
Q1 25
$161.6M
Q4 24
$131.9M
Q3 24
$135.4M
Q2 24
$129.8M
Q1 24
$125.3M
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
$94.7M
$354.5M
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
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
$294.8M
$958.7M
Q3 25
$279.3M
$932.2M
Q2 25
$272.2M
$894.1M
Q1 25
$310.0M
$870.9M
Q4 24
$303.9M
$846.4M
Q3 24
$290.4M
$858.5M
Q2 24
$288.7M
$813.6M
Q1 24
$288.5M
$798.0M
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
$521.4M
$8.0B
Q3 25
$525.3M
$7.8B
Q2 25
$537.4M
$7.7B
Q1 25
$578.7M
$7.6B
Q4 24
$570.1M
$7.5B
Q3 24
$569.6M
$7.6B
Q2 24
$560.7M
$7.6B
Q1 24
$559.0M
$7.7B
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
0.32×
0.37×
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
FMBH
FMBH
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$130.9M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
$124.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
140.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
7.8%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
5.53×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M
$207.9M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$130.9M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$33.0M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$7.7M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$47.9M
Q4 24
$1.6M
$124.4M
Q3 24
$14.1M
$33.1M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$24.0M
Q1 24
$20.7M
$29.0M
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
$-15.6M
$124.0M
Q3 25
$17.5M
$31.9M
Q2 25
$11.1M
$6.0M
Q1 25
$33.1M
$46.0M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
$119.5M
Q3 24
$7.8M
$32.0M
Q2 24
$7.3M
$22.9M
Q1 24
$14.5M
$27.6M
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
-9.9%
140.6%
Q3 25
10.7%
35.8%
Q2 25
6.8%
6.8%
Q1 25
20.1%
54.5%
Q4 24
-1.1%
140.0%
Q3 24
5.1%
39.7%
Q2 24
4.7%
28.9%
Q1 24
9.4%
34.5%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
2.6%
7.8%
Q3 25
2.6%
1.2%
Q2 25
2.3%
2.0%
Q1 25
2.4%
2.3%
Q4 24
2.0%
5.8%
Q3 24
4.1%
1.4%
Q2 24
3.4%
1.4%
Q1 24
4.0%
1.9%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
FMBH
FMBH
Q4 25
-0.92×
5.53×
Q3 25
3.90×
1.47×
Q2 25
3.29×
0.33×
Q1 25
4.16×
2.16×
Q4 24
0.12×
6.49×
Q3 24
6.22×
1.70×
Q2 24
33.57×
1.21×
Q1 24
40.20×
1.42×

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%

FMBH
FMBH

Segment breakdown not available.

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