** Shares of postsecondary education provider American Public Education Inc APEI.O rise 6.6% to $29.92
** Northland Capital starts APEI coverage with an "outperform" rating and PT of $36
** Northland believes APEI has meaningfully improved the business to support a return to growth
** Several macroeconomic tailwinds are driving strong enrollment trends for vocational colleges, including Trump administration's support of career-focused/skilled labor education - Northland
** APEI relatively insulated from macro headwinds such as tariffs, market volatility and the potential for a recession due to the counter-cyclical nature of its business - Northland
** Up to last close, APEI has risen 30% YTD
(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City)
((Juby.Babu@thomsonreuters.com;))