The Goldman Sachs Group Issues Positive Forecast for American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) Stock Price

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) had its target price upped by equities researchers at The Goldman Sachs Group from $133.00 to $141.00 in a report released on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price target points to a potential upside of 11.52% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on AEP. Citigroup raised their price target on American Electric Power from $111.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH cut their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $124.50 to $117.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of American Electric Power in a research note on Friday. Williams Trading set a $137.00 price objective on shares of American Electric Power in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of American Electric Power from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.88.

American Electric Power Stock Up 3.4%

American Electric Power stock opened at $126.43 on Friday. American Electric Power has a fifty-two week low of $97.46 and a fifty-two week high of $128.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.62. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $117.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $115.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.69.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.04. American Electric Power had a net margin of 17.23% and a return on equity of 11.00%. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.24 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 13.2% on a year-over-year basis. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.150-6.450 EPS. Analysts predict that American Electric Power will post 5.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at American Electric Power

In other American Electric Power news, Director Benjamin G. S. Fowke III sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.07, for a total transaction of $575,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,898 shares in the company, valued at $2,980,082.86. This represents a 16.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Electric Power

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AEP. West Family Investments Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Electric Power in the second quarter valued at about $256,000. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI boosted its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 462.1% during the 3rd quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 52,953 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,958,000 after buying an additional 43,533 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its stake in American Electric Power by 228.6% in the 3rd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 51,659 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,812,000 after buying an additional 35,938 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in American Electric Power by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 7,802,211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $809,557,000 after acquiring an additional 432,441 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its position in American Electric Power by 807.5% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 263,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,672,000 after acquiring an additional 234,689 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting American Electric Power

Here are the key news stories impacting American Electric Power this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations: AEP reported operating EPS of $1.19 vs. consensus $1.15 and revenue of $5.32B (up 13% Y/Y); management reaffirmed FY‑2026 operating earnings guidance of $6.15–$6.45. This earnings beat and clear guidance underpin the stock’s strength today. AEP press release
• Positive Sentiment: Demand upside from data centers and higher load outlook: AEP doubled its contracted load outlook to ~56 GW by 2030 and said it will expand its five‑year capex plan beyond $72B to meet surging electricity demand — a revenue and rate-base growth catalyst. Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic partnerships/solutions support growth: AEP has signed data‑center supply deals (including a supply agreement tied to Bloom Energy) that accelerate incremental load and reduce interconnection timing risk for hyperscale customers. MarketBeat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price target increase: Mizuho raised its AEP target from $123 to $130 (keeps a “neutral” rating), providing modest upward pressure on sentiment. TickerReport
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference call / transcript available — provides detail on capex, rate-case timing and load contracts for investors doing deeper due diligence. Earnings transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data posted is inconsistent (shows zero change / zero shares), so it does not appear to be a material driver today.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory setback: FERC rejected AEP’s request to sell capacity in an upcoming auction, which could limit near‑term monetization of some assets and adds regulatory uncertainty. Yahoo Finance / Reuters
• Negative Sentiment: Policy/geopolitical risk flagged: Research notes (TipRanks) highlight trade‑policy shifts and geopolitical exposures that could raise costs and pressure cash flow — a reminder capex growth comes with execution and macro risks. TipRanks

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.