Lazard Asset Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP

Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) by 81.9% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 707,010 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 318,412 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in American Electric Power were worth $92,675,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AEP. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 162.0% during the 1st quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC now owns 10,335 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,355,000 after purchasing an additional 6,390 shares during the period. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp lifted its holdings in American Electric Power by 41.9% during the 1st quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 26,750 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,506,000 after purchasing an additional 7,905 shares in the last quarter. Themes Management Co LLC boosted its stake in American Electric Power by 19.2% in the 1st quarter. Themes Management Co LLC now owns 7,665 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,005,000 after purchasing an additional 1,233 shares during the period. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA boosted its stake in American Electric Power by 21.7% in the 1st quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA now owns 29,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,893,000 after purchasing an additional 5,300 shares during the period. Finally, Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC purchased a new position in American Electric Power during the 1st quarter valued at about $524,000. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

American Electric Power Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AEP opened at $133.59 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $131.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $129.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.62, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.52. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a one year low of $105.70 and a one year high of $140.58.

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

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. American Electric Power’s payout ratio is 55.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AEP. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Seaport Research Partners raised shares of American Electric Power from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $131.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on American Electric Power from $141.00 to $139.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on American Electric Power from $144.00 to $148.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Electric Power currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.71.

About American Electric Power

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.