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American Public Education, Inc.'s APEI nursing and health sciences-focused institution, Rasmussen University (RU), enhances its career services offerings with an AI-powered mock interview tool from Hiration. This innovation aims to boost student confidence and success in job interviews by providing tailored simulated interview questions and real-time feedback on performance.

Hiration utilizes ChatGPT in its interview preparation tool to give students personalized feedback on interview skills such as communication, body language and speech variations. The tool also offers actionable suggestions to help students improve their responses to interview questions. The interview prep tool expands career resources for Rasmussen students and alumni, including Hiration's AI-powered resume builder and Handshake, which offers job, internship and volunteer opportunities.

RU being among the first higher education institutions to introduce Hiration's new AI mock interview tool underscores its commitment to equipping students and alumni with essential resources for academic and career success. This innovative module provides a dynamic platform to prepare for the complexities of the evolving job market.

Initiatives to Boost Enrollment Bode Well

APEI has undertaken several initiatives to improve enrollment trends, enhance student persistence and reduce cost pressure. The company aims to strengthen its digital marketing campaigns to leverage relationships with the military, public service and other high-value student populations.

American Public offers various competency-based education programs, which permit students to control their own pace and progress in a program. On Jul 8, the company launched the TuitionWise program through its online education provider, American Public University System, Inc. (APUS). This initiative aims to aid companies in recruiting, retaining and upskilling employees amidst today's competitive job market challenges.

The company is on track to complete its migration to a new Learning Management System. The company believes that by diversifying pre-licensure nursing student enrollments across PN, ADN and BSN programs and focusing on strong NCLEX exam outcomes, Rasmussen can achieve overall pre-licensure nursing enrollment growth in a more balanced and less concentrated manner.

During first-quarter 2024earnings call the company shed light on the operational improvements and addressed the operational challenges at Rasmussen in the past year. It stated that the successful execution of these initiatives has rightfully positioned the company for long-term growth, driven by strong education units and an enterprise with strong financial standing. The operational improvements that APEI stated to have successfully implemented include enhanced marketing efficiency and the right-sizing of the cost structure.

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Shares of this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company have surged 58.2% in the past six months compared with the Zacks Schools industry’s 2.4% growth. The company is benefiting from consistent enrollment growth at APUS and HCN segments, along with tuition and increased fees. Also, focus on cost-saving initiatives and affordable tuition bodes well.

Other Key Picks

Some other top-ranked stocks in the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector are:

PlayAGS, Inc. AGS sports a Zacks Rank of 1. AGS has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 33.3%, on average. The stock has appreciated 96% in the past year. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here.

The consensus estimate for AGS’s 2024 sales and earnings per share (EPS) suggests growth of 7.7% and 5,200%, respectively, from year-ago levels.

Adtalem Global Education Inc. ATGE currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). ATGE has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 18.8%, on average. The stock has surged 79.8% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATGE’s fiscal 2025 sales and EPS indicates an increase of 8.3% and 16.4%, respectively, from year-ago levels.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. RCL has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 18.3%, on average. The stock has rallied 61.8% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RCL’s 2024 sales and EPS calls for growth of 16.9% and 64%, respectively, from the year-ago levels.

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