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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and BRC Group Holdings, Inc. (RILY). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

BRC Group Holdings, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($188.3M vs $158.3M, roughly 1.2× AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC). BRC Group Holdings, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 47.9% vs 8.0%, a 40.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (-3.5% vs -21.9%). Over the past eight quarters, AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC's revenue compounded faster (1.3% CAGR vs -15.4%).

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.

APEI vs RILY — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
RILY
RILY
1.2× larger
RILY
$188.3M
$158.3M
APEI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
APEI
APEI
+18.3% gap
APEI
-3.5%
-21.9%
RILY
Higher net margin
RILY
RILY
40.0% more per $
RILY
47.9%
8.0%
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
APEI
APEI
Annualised
APEI
1.3%
-15.4%
RILY

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Revenue
$158.3M
$188.3M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$90.3M
Gross Margin
56.4%
79.5%
Operating Margin
12.0%
32.3%
Net Margin
8.0%
47.9%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
-21.9%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
1710.8%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$2.78

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
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
$158.3M
$188.3M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$215.3M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$188.2M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$197.2M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$241.0M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$225.5M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$256.0M
Q1 24
$154.4M
$263.4M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
$12.6M
$90.3M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$91.1M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$139.5M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$-10.0M
Q4 24
$13.0M
$-5.6M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$-284.4M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$-433.6M
Q1 24
$516.0K
$-49.2M
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
56.4%
79.5%
Q3 25
54.2%
83.7%
Q2 25
51.8%
81.3%
Q1 25
54.5%
81.4%
Q4 24
56.3%
79.8%
Q3 24
50.8%
82.1%
Q2 24
50.2%
84.5%
Q1 24
53.1%
85.3%
Operating Margin
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
12.0%
32.3%
Q3 25
5.9%
30.4%
Q2 25
4.3%
5.7%
Q1 25
7.4%
-31.2%
Q4 24
13.1%
-69.2%
Q3 24
2.7%
-36.4%
Q2 24
1.5%
-90.8%
Q1 24
3.4%
-6.1%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
8.0%
47.9%
Q3 25
3.4%
42.3%
Q2 25
2.8%
74.1%
Q1 25
5.4%
-5.1%
Q4 24
7.9%
-2.3%
Q3 24
1.5%
-126.1%
Q2 24
0.2%
-169.4%
Q1 24
0.3%
-18.7%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
$0.67
$2.78
Q3 25
$0.30
$2.91
Q2 25
$-0.02
$4.50
Q1 25
$0.41
$-0.39
Q4 24
$0.63
$-0.01
Q3 24
$0.04
$-9.39
Q2 24
$-0.06
$-14.35
Q1 24
$-0.06
$-1.71

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
$226.6M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
$1.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$-171.5M
Total Assets
$521.4M
$1.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
$174.1M
$226.6M
Q3 25
$191.3M
$184.2M
Q2 25
$174.9M
$267.4M
Q1 25
$161.6M
$138.3M
Q4 24
$131.9M
$146.9M
Q3 24
$135.4M
$159.2M
Q2 24
$129.8M
$236.9M
Q1 24
$125.3M
$190.7M
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
$94.7M
$1.4B
Q3 25
$94.4M
$1.3B
Q2 25
$94.1M
$1.3B
Q1 25
$93.7M
$1.4B
Q4 24
$93.4M
$1.5B
Q3 24
$93.1M
Q2 24
$92.8M
Q1 24
$95.0M
Stockholders' Equity
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
$294.8M
$-171.5M
Q3 25
$279.3M
$-260.5M
Q2 25
$272.2M
$-351.7M
Q1 25
$310.0M
$-496.8M
Q4 24
$303.9M
$-488.2M
Q3 24
$290.4M
$-497.6M
Q2 24
$288.7M
$-218.3M
Q1 24
$288.5M
$228.4M
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
$521.4M
$1.7B
Q3 25
$525.3M
$1.7B
Q2 25
$537.4M
$1.5B
Q1 25
$578.7M
$1.5B
Q4 24
$570.1M
$1.8B
Q3 24
$569.6M
$2.2B
Q2 24
$560.7M
$3.2B
Q1 24
$559.0M
$5.0B
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
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
RILY
RILY
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$26.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
0.29×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$26.2M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$-60.6M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$-25.6M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$184.0K
Q4 24
$1.6M
$-2.7M
Q3 24
$14.1M
$19.5M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$111.5M
Q1 24
$20.7M
$135.4M
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
$-15.6M
Q3 25
$17.5M
Q2 25
$11.1M
Q1 25
$33.1M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
Q3 24
$7.8M
Q2 24
$7.3M
Q1 24
$14.5M
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
-9.9%
Q3 25
10.7%
Q2 25
6.8%
Q1 25
20.1%
Q4 24
-1.1%
Q3 24
5.1%
Q2 24
4.7%
Q1 24
9.4%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
2.6%
Q3 25
2.6%
Q2 25
2.3%
Q1 25
2.4%
Q4 24
2.0%
Q3 24
4.1%
Q2 24
3.4%
Q1 24
4.0%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
RILY
RILY
Q4 25
-0.92×
0.29×
Q3 25
3.90×
-0.66×
Q2 25
3.29×
-0.18×
Q1 25
4.16×
Q4 24
0.12×
Q3 24
6.22×
Q2 24
33.57×
Q1 24
40.20×

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%

RILY
RILY

Transferred At Point In Time$101.4M54%
Wealth Management Segment$30.7M16%
Corporate Finance Consulting And Investment Banking Fees$27.1M14%
Services And Fees$24.8M13%
Commissions Fees And Reimbursed Expenses$4.8M3%

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