American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the thirteen brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $105.77.

AEP has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup boosted their target price on American Electric Power from $102.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $107.00 to $114.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $95.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $108.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $109.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Electric Power

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AEP. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in American Electric Power during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in American Electric Power in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Bank of New Hampshire bought a new position in shares of American Electric Power in the first quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Electric Power Stock Down 0.5 %

NASDAQ:AEP opened at $104.68 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 0.44 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $105.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $100.26. The company has a market capitalization of $55.92 billion, a PE ratio of 18.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.45. American Electric Power has a 1-year low of $85.93 and a 1-year high of $110.48.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.14. American Electric Power had a net margin of 15.08% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The business had revenue of $5.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.27 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that American Electric Power will post 5.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be issued a $0.93 dividend. This represents a $3.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio is 71.68%.

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.