AES (NYSE:AES) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

AES (NYSE:AES) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other research analysts have also commented on AES. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of AES from $13.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of AES in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $15.00 price objective (down from $23.00) on shares of AES in a research report on Friday. Barclays reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of AES in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Argus upgraded AES from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $18.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $24.27.

AES Price Performance

AES stock opened at $14.16 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $15.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.24. AES has a 12-month low of $9.46 and a 12-month high of $17.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.94. The company has a market capitalization of $10.09 billion, a PE ratio of 11.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.95.

AES (NYSE:AES) last announced its earnings results on Monday, March 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.07 billion. AES had a return on equity of 19.93% and a net margin of 7.40%.During the same period last year, the business posted $0.54 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AES will post 1.93 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of AES

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in AES by 128.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 7,147,438 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $102,494,000 after buying an additional 4,021,385 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its holdings in shares of AES by 975.3% in the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 3,086,164 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $32,466,000 after acquiring an additional 2,799,148 shares during the last quarter. Sound Shore Management Inc. CT raised its position in shares of AES by 17.0% during the 4th quarter. Sound Shore Management Inc. CT now owns 6,898,342 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $98,922,000 after acquiring an additional 1,002,530 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in AES by 247.6% in the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 968,333 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $10,185,000 after purchasing an additional 689,741 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Horizon Investments LLC increased its stake in AES by 4,710.9% in the fourth quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 542,528 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $7,780,000 after purchasing an additional 531,251 shares during the last quarter. 93.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AES News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AES this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings and volume: AES reported stronger-than-expected Q4 results and saw elevated trading volume after the print, which supports near-term fundamentals and cash generation. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consent solicitation for senior notes: AES launched consent solicitations to amend indentures on several outstanding notes — a technical step that could provide covenant relief or flexibility around the buyout/financing but is standard in deal processes. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst round-up: Coverage pieces summarize differing analyst views on AES’s outlook, useful context but not a single catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cuts price target: Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “Equal Weight” rating but sharply reduced its price target to $15 (from $23), materially lowering implied upside and signaling less enthusiasm for the buyout valuation. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho downgrades to Hold: Mizuho cut AES to “Hold”, adding to analyst pressure and reducing conviction for further upside absent a higher offer. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Community and regulatory pushback: AES canceled in-person community open houses after online threats; Indiana officials and the state treasurer have raised concerns that the AES–BlackRock deal won’t prioritize local residents — a reputational and political headwind that could draw scrutiny. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder investigation into buyout price: A law firm launched a probe arguing the $15 buyout price may undervalue AES, increasing the risk of litigation or demands for a higher offer. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Customer complaints / local media coverage: Reports of rising winter bills and customer concern in AES Indiana increase political sensitivity around the transaction and could influence regulators or public opinion. Read More.

AES Company Profile

AES Corporation is a global energy company focused on the generation and distribution of electricity across diversified markets. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, AES develops, builds and operates power plants and distribution systems that serve residential, industrial and commercial customers. The company’s portfolio includes thermal, renewable and battery energy storage facilities designed to deliver reliable and sustainable electricity solutions.

Through its subsidiaries, AES operates a balanced mix of power generation assets, including natural gas, coal and renewables such as solar and wind.