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

Shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $127.3947.

Several brokerages have recently commented on AEP. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on American Electric Power from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of American Electric Power in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Williams Trading set a $137.00 price target on shares of American Electric Power in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of American Electric Power in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on American Electric Power from $113.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th.

American Electric Power Stock Up 0.2%

AEP stock opened at $120.80 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $117.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $115.51. American Electric Power has a twelve month low of $97.46 and a twelve month high of $124.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.52 billion, a PE ratio of 17.61, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio is 55.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling 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 stock was sold at an average price of $115.07, for a total value of $575,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,898 shares in the company, valued at $2,980,082.86. The trade was a 16.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Electric Power

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AEP. Activest Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 72.2% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in American Electric Power by 7,300.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 222 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Optima Capital LLC bought a new stake in American Electric Power in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Electric Power in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 330.2% during the third quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 228 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About American Electric Power

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.