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

American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-two research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and thirteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $140.1905.

AEP has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays decreased their price target on American Electric Power from $138.00 to $129.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective 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. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of American Electric Power from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $148.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of American Electric Power in a report on Thursday, August 27th.

American Electric Power Stock Performance

Shares of AEP opened at $122.96 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $130.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $130.65. The firm has a market cap of $66.94 billion, a PE ratio of 21.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.51. American Electric Power has a 12-month low of $105.70 and a 12-month high of $140.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44.

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). American Electric Power had a return on equity of 9.95% and a net margin of 13.78%.The business had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.34 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.43 earnings per share. The company’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 analysts predict that American Electric Power will post 6.38 EPS for the current year.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio is 65.18%.

Institutional Trading of American Electric Power

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AEP. Activest Wealth Management boosted its holdings in American Electric Power by 72.2% during the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Costello Asset Management INC increased its holdings in American Electric Power by 100.0% in the first quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID increased its holdings in American Electric Power by 200.0% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 231 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank acquired a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Electric Power Company Profile

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.