American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $127.2895.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AEP. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $113.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $120.00 target price on American Electric Power in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Citigroup increased 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. Cowen started coverage on American Electric Power in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $132.00 to $139.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 30th.

Insider Transactions at American Electric Power

In related news, Director Benjamin G. S. Fowke III sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.07, for a total value of $575,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,898 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,980,082.86. The trade was a 16.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Electric Power

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of American Electric Power in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in American Electric Power in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in American Electric Power by 330.2% in the third quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 228 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Advantage Trust Co boosted its holdings in American Electric Power by 57.1% in the second quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 275 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Montag A & Associates Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 166.0% during the second quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Electric Power Stock Up 1.3%

NASDAQ:AEP opened at $118.11 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $63.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.63. American Electric Power has a twelve month low of $94.53 and a twelve month high of $124.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $117.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $113.80.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $1.80 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.81 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.65 billion. American Electric Power had a return on equity of 11.00% and a net margin of 17.23%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. American Electric Power has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.850-5.95 EPS. Analysts anticipate that American Electric Power will post 5.87 EPS for the current year.

American Electric Power Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th were given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. This is a boost from American Electric Power’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio is currently 55.39%.

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.