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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and OPAL Fuels Inc. (OPAL). 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 $88.4M, roughly 1.8× OPAL Fuels Inc.). OPAL Fuels Inc. runs the higher net margin — 18.3% vs 8.0%, a 10.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, OPAL Fuels Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (18.7% vs -3.5%). OPAL Fuels Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($-13.4M vs $-15.6M). Over the past eight quarters, OPAL Fuels Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (17.6% 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.

OPAL Fuels Inc. is a North American energy company focused on producing and distributing low-carbon renewable natural gas (RNG). It captures methane from landfills, dairy operations and other organic waste streams to produce RNG, which is mainly supplied to heavy-duty transportation fleets, commercial logistics operators and public transport entities to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

APEI vs OPAL — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
APEI
APEI
1.8× larger
APEI
$158.3M
$88.4M
OPAL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
OPAL
OPAL
+22.3% gap
OPAL
18.7%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
OPAL
OPAL
10.3% more per $
OPAL
18.3%
8.0%
APEI
More free cash flow
OPAL
OPAL
$2.3M more FCF
OPAL
$-13.4M
$-15.6M
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
OPAL
OPAL
Annualised
OPAL
17.6%
1.3%
APEI

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Revenue
$158.3M
$88.4M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$16.2M
Gross Margin
56.4%
Operating Margin
12.0%
7.5%
Net Margin
8.0%
18.3%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
18.7%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
401.5%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$0.08

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
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
$158.3M
$88.4M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$77.9M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$77.4M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$83.0M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$74.5M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$82.6M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$69.8M
Q1 24
$154.4M
$64.0M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
$12.6M
$16.2M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$11.4M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$7.6M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$1.3M
Q4 24
$13.0M
$-5.4M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$17.1M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$1.9M
Q1 24
$516.0K
$677.0K
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
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
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
12.0%
7.5%
Q3 25
5.9%
4.6%
Q2 25
4.3%
-1.1%
Q1 25
7.4%
-2.3%
Q4 24
13.1%
-0.5%
Q3 24
2.7%
14.9%
Q2 24
1.5%
8.1%
Q1 24
3.4%
5.6%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
8.0%
18.3%
Q3 25
3.4%
14.6%
Q2 25
2.8%
9.8%
Q1 25
5.4%
1.5%
Q4 24
7.9%
-7.2%
Q3 24
1.5%
20.7%
Q2 24
0.2%
2.7%
Q1 24
0.3%
1.1%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
$0.67
$0.08
Q3 25
$0.30
$0.05
Q2 25
$-0.02
$0.03
Q1 25
$0.41
$-0.01
Q4 24
$0.63
$-0.05
Q3 24
$0.04
$0.09
Q2 24
$-0.06
$-0.01
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
OPAL
OPAL
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
$24.4M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
$361.3M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$-12.9M
Total Assets
$521.4M
$959.5M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
$174.1M
$24.4M
Q3 25
$191.3M
$29.9M
Q2 25
$174.9M
$29.3M
Q1 25
$161.6M
$40.1M
Q4 24
$131.9M
$24.3M
Q3 24
$135.4M
$31.0M
Q2 24
$129.8M
$27.6M
Q1 24
$125.3M
$34.2M
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
$94.7M
$361.3M
Q3 25
$94.4M
$351.2M
Q2 25
$94.1M
$331.6M
Q1 25
$93.7M
$307.0M
Q4 24
$93.4M
$307.5M
Q3 24
$93.1M
$252.9M
Q2 24
$92.8M
$233.3M
Q1 24
$95.0M
$208.7M
Stockholders' Equity
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
$294.8M
$-12.9M
Q3 25
$279.3M
$7.5M
Q2 25
$272.2M
$-25.0M
Q1 25
$310.0M
$57.1M
Q4 24
$303.9M
$-148.4M
Q3 24
$290.4M
$-180.1M
Q2 24
$288.7M
$-273.0M
Q1 24
$288.5M
$-382.4M
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
$521.4M
$959.5M
Q3 25
$525.3M
$916.7M
Q2 25
$537.4M
$905.5M
Q1 25
$578.7M
$884.9M
Q4 24
$570.1M
$881.1M
Q3 24
$569.6M
$831.1M
Q2 24
$560.7M
$782.3M
Q1 24
$559.0M
$750.5M
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
0.32×
Q3 25
0.34×
46.95×
Q2 25
0.35×
Q1 25
0.30×
5.38×
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
OPAL
OPAL
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$-3.5M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
$-13.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
-15.1%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
11.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
-0.22×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M
$-34.2M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$-3.5M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$18.2M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$-7.9M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$29.7M
Q4 24
$1.6M
$-532.0K
Q3 24
$14.1M
$17.7M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$533.0K
Q1 24
$20.7M
$13.7M
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
$-15.6M
$-13.4M
Q3 25
$17.5M
$-9.3M
Q2 25
$11.1M
$-29.7M
Q1 25
$33.1M
$18.1M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
$-55.0M
Q3 24
$7.8M
$-5.4M
Q2 24
$7.3M
$-22.5M
Q1 24
$14.5M
$-13.0M
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
-9.9%
-15.1%
Q3 25
10.7%
-11.9%
Q2 25
6.8%
-38.4%
Q1 25
20.1%
21.8%
Q4 24
-1.1%
-73.8%
Q3 24
5.1%
-6.5%
Q2 24
4.7%
-32.2%
Q1 24
9.4%
-20.4%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
2.6%
11.1%
Q3 25
2.6%
35.3%
Q2 25
2.3%
28.2%
Q1 25
2.4%
13.9%
Q4 24
2.0%
73.1%
Q3 24
4.1%
27.9%
Q2 24
3.4%
32.9%
Q1 24
4.0%
41.8%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
OPAL
OPAL
Q4 25
-0.92×
-0.22×
Q3 25
3.90×
1.60×
Q2 25
3.29×
-1.04×
Q1 25
4.16×
23.11×
Q4 24
0.12×
Q3 24
6.22×
1.03×
Q2 24
33.57×
0.28×
Q1 24
40.20×
20.26×

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%

OPAL
OPAL

Fuel Station Services Segment$65.1M74%
Related Party$12.1M14%
Renewable Power Segment$8.6M10%
Other$2.6M3%

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