Apollo Group Shares Hold Steady Before Earnings Call

Apollo Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:APOL) shares are trading flat today at $73.20 ahead of its Q4 2009 earnings call which will take place at 5 PM EST.  Apollo shares are up 9% over the past 3 months, will the trend continue?

Apollo shares are negative YTD, in 2009 APOL is down 4% but the stock is only $1 away from its 52-week high. Apollo Group is expected to report earnings of $1.04 a share in the fiscal fourth quarter on revenue of $1.03 billion, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet Research. Apollo Group, Inc. has been cashing in on the jobless by offering its courses through University of Phoenix, College for Financial Planning, Insight Schools, Inc., Institute for Professional Development, and Western International University.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE
You'll know the economy is improving if: Enrollment growth slows. These career-oriented schools often attract the unemployed and underemployed, Apollo and DeVry saw enrollment grow by about 20 percent this year as people lost jobs. A slowdown in new student growth could signal that companies are hiring again.

You'll know the economy is not improving if: Enrollment rises. If Apollo and DeVry report more increases in new students, and corresponding gains in profit, that's a sign the job market is still in bad shape. Also, if bad-debt expenses rise it's an indication that students may be unable to pay their tuition

Best of luck to all those holding positions going into today's call.