Hancock Whitney Corp Purchases 143 Shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP

Hancock Whitney Corp lifted its position in shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) by 1.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,319 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp’s holdings in American Electric Power were worth $1,128,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AEP. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the first quarter worth $25,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Bank of New Hampshire bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the first quarter worth $28,000. MJT & Associates Financial Advisory Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the first quarter worth $33,000. Finally, IMA Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the first quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

American Electric Power Price Performance

Shares of AEP opened at $108.11 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a current ratio of 0.55. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $109.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $106.16. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 52-week low of $89.91 and a 52-week high of $115.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.82 billion, a PE ratio of 15.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.46.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.16. American Electric Power had a return on equity of 11.55% and a net margin of 17.68%.The business had revenue of $5.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.25 EPS. American Electric Power’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. American Electric Power has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.570-6.770 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 5.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be given a $0.93 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. This represents a $3.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. American Electric Power’s payout ratio is currently 54.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AEP has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group raised their target price on American Electric Power from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Mizuho set a $116.00 target price on American Electric Power and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Barclays raised their target price on American Electric Power from $105.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and set a $122.00 target price (up previously from $115.00) on shares of American Electric Power in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Scotiabank raised their target price on American Electric Power from $102.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, American Electric Power has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $111.29.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Matthew Feinberg sold 8,058 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.74, for a total value of $819,820.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 10,274 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,045,276.76. The trade was a 43.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

About American Electric Power

American Electric Power Company, Inc, an electric public utility holding company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers in the United States. It operates through Vertically Integrated Utilities, Transmission and Distribution Utilities, AEP Transmission Holdco, and Generation & Marketing segments.