American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) Stock Gets Price Target Trim from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) had its price objective decreased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $140.00 to $135.00 in a research note published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $140.00 to $131.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $139.00 to $135.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of American Electric Power in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $141.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on American Electric Power from $135.00 to $128.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $137.96.

American Electric Power Stock Performance

NASDAQ AEP opened at $127.39 on Monday. American Electric Power has a 1 year low of $112.54 and a 1 year high of $140.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 0.50 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market cap of $69.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.85, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $122.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $128.49.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.48 by ($0.12). American Electric Power had a net margin of 13.78% and a return on equity of 9.95%. The firm had revenue of $5.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.43 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.250-6.550 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that American Electric Power will post 6.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 10th will be given a dividend of $0.97 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 10th. This represents a $3.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. This is a boost from American Electric Power’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. American Electric Power’s payout ratio is 65.18%.

Insider Activity at American Electric Power

In related news, CAO Kate Dixon sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total value of $250,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 15,856 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,982,000. The trade was a 11.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.05% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Electric Power

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in American Electric Power in the second quarter valued at approximately $6,980,601,000. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 43.7% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,688,208 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,290,000 after buying an additional 513,305 shares during the period. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power in the second quarter valued at $2,278,000. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the 2nd quarter valued at $8,448,000. Finally, Bellars Harris Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the 2nd quarter valued at $10,377,000. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

American Electric Power News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades improve sentiment. BTIG upgraded AEP to Buy from Neutral, citing expectations that growth will accelerate. Zacks also raised the stock to Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting improving earnings prospects. BTIG upgrades AEP Zacks upgrades AEP
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increased for the 15th consecutive year. AEP raised its quarterly dividend by $0.02 to $0.97 per share, payable December 10 to shareholders of record November 10. The new annualized payout is $3.88, representing an indicated yield of approximately 3.0%. AEP dividend increase
• Positive Sentiment: Potential earnings catalyst is approaching. Wall Street expects earnings growth in AEP’s upcoming quarterly report, and Zacks says the company has indicators that could support an earnings beat. AEP earnings expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Amazon-linked nuclear development could add long-term growth. A proposed nuclear plant involving Amazon, AEP and X-energy is drawing local attention and could support future power-demand growth, though the project remains subject to approvals and execution risks. Proposed Amazon-AEP nuclear plant
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views are mixed. While BTIG turned bullish, other coverage describes analysts as neutral, and JPMorgan lowered its price expectations for AEP stock. This may limit upside until earnings or project developments provide further confirmation.
• Negative Sentiment: Dividend sustainability is a concern. Commentary questions whether AEP’s cash flow can comfortably support continued payout growth, potentially weighing on income-focused investors despite the latest increase. AEP dividend sustainability analysis

American Electric Power Company Profile

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) is an electric utility holding company that generates, transmits and distributes electricity to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers. Through its operating companies, AEP provides regulated electric service and manages power generation assets using a mix of energy resources, including natural gas, coal, nuclear, hydroelectric and renewable energy.

AEP operates one of the largest electric transmission systems in the United States and supplies electricity across portions of Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.