Which has grown faster, APEI or HELE?

Over the past five years, APEI grew revenue faster — APEI at a 15.04% CAGR versus HELE at -3.92%.

Is APEI or HELE more profitable?

APEI runs the higher net margin — APEI at 6.84% versus HELE at -22.71%.

How have APEI and HELE total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, APEI delivered 8.10% and HELE delivered -11.45% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) vs Helen of Troy Limited (HELE)

A side-by-side comparison of American Public Education, Inc. and Helen of Troy Limited across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 6, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

APEI

American Public Education, Inc.

$820M

$44.71Consumer DefensiveDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

HELE

Helen of Troy Limited

$595M

$25.56Consumer DefensiveDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Total return — APEI vs HELE

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

APEI +118.1% (+8.1%/yr)HELE -70.4% (-11.5%/yr)APEI compounded faster over this window

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

APEI HELE

APEI vs HELE: by the numbers

•APEI is the larger company ($820M vs $595M market cap).
•APEI is profitable (6.84% net margin) while HELE runs a net loss (-22.71%).
•APEI grew revenue faster over the past five years (15.04% vs -3.92% CAGR).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	APEI	HELE
P/E ratio	18.40	N/A
Forward P/E	17.04	7.20
PEG ratio	10.82	N/A
P/S ratio	1.23	0.33
P/B ratio	2.61	0.71
EV / EBITDA	12.06	N/A
FCF yield	8.54%	N/A

Profitability

Metric	APEI	HELE
Gross margin	54.61%	45.44%
Operating margin	9.59%	5.98%
Net margin	6.84%	-22.71%
ROE	14.54%	-48.90%
ROIC	10.85%	-14.49%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	APEI	HELE
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	15.04%	-3.92%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	1.97%	N/A
FCF CAGR (5Y)	32.90%	N/A
Total return CAGR (5Y)	10.80%	-34.93%

Frequently asked

Which has grown faster, APEI or HELE?: Over the past five years, APEI grew revenue faster — APEI at a 15.04% CAGR versus HELE at -3.92%.
Is APEI or HELE more profitable?: APEI runs the higher net margin — APEI at 6.84% versus HELE at -22.71%.
How have APEI and HELE total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, APEI delivered 8.10% and HELE delivered -11.45% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full APEI analysis Full HELE analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Public Education P/E ratio American Public Education ROE Helen of Troy ROE American Public Education operating margin Helen of Troy operating margin American Public Education revenue growth Helen of Troy revenue growth American Public Education free cash flow Helen of Troy free cash flow

American Public Education & Helen of Troy appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 6, 2026.