American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $140.1905.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $141.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $141.00 to $140.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of American Electric Power in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $147.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH lowered their target price on American Electric Power from $148.00 to $143.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 18th.

American Electric Power Stock Performance

American Electric Power stock opened at $124.71 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.89 billion, a PE ratio of 21.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.51. American Electric Power has a one year low of $105.70 and a one year high of $140.58. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $129.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $130.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.50.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.48 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $5.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.34 billion. American Electric Power had a net margin of 13.78% and a return on equity of 9.95%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.43 EPS. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.250-6.550 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that American Electric Power will post 6.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. American Electric Power’s payout ratio is 65.18%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Electric Power

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,601 shares of the company’s stock worth $978,000 after buying an additional 1,095 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new position in American Electric Power during the 1st quarter valued at $320,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in American Electric Power by 149.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,891 shares of the company’s stock valued at $507,000 after acquiring an additional 2,931 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL grew its holdings in American Electric Power by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 2,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AXA S.A. grew its holdings in American Electric Power by 95.7% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 79,111 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,209,000 after acquiring an additional 38,684 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

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.