Westpac Banking Corp Reduces Stake in American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP

Westpac Banking Corp decreased its stake in shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) by 53.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 5,919 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,781 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in American Electric Power were worth $683,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Capital Innovations LLC purchased a new stake in American Electric Power during the 4th quarter worth about $3,066,000. SCP Investment LP lifted its holdings in American Electric Power by 142.9% during the 4th quarter. SCP Investment LP now owns 6,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $784,000 after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares in the last quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in American Electric Power by 26.5% during the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 12,891 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,486,000 after purchasing an additional 2,704 shares in the last quarter. Winthrop Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in American Electric Power during the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in American Electric Power by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 455,476 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,521,000 after purchasing an additional 1,647 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

American Electric Power Stock Performance

Shares of AEP opened at $126.31 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.39. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a one year low of $100.72 and a one year high of $139.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.55, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a fifty day moving average of $131.53 and a 200 day moving average of $125.39.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.07. American Electric Power had a return on equity of 10.21% and a net margin of 16.29%.The business had revenue of $6.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.72 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.54 earnings per share. American Electric Power’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.120-6.420 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 6.35 EPS for the current year.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.80%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AEP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen cut American Electric Power from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Mizuho raised their price target on American Electric Power from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on American Electric Power from $144.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on American Electric Power from $136.00 to $129.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on American Electric Power from $141.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.10.

American Electric Power Profile

American Electric Power (NASDAQ: AEP) is a major investor-owned electric utility headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The company is primarily engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, operating a diverse portfolio of power plants and an extensive high-voltage transmission network. AEP serves retail customers through its regulated utility subsidiaries and provides wholesale power and grid services across multiple regional markets in the United States.

Operations span the full utility value chain: AEP owns and operates generation assets that include fossil-fuel, natural gas, nuclear and hydropower facilities, and it has been adding renewable resources to its mix.