AES (NYSE:AES) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Argus

Argus cut shares of AES (NYSE:AES) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports.

AES has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of AES from $13.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of AES in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $15.00 price objective (down from $23.00) on shares of AES in a report on Friday, March 6th. Wall Street Zen raised AES from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $15.00 target price on shares of AES in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AES has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $24.27.

AES Stock Performance

Shares of AES stock opened at $14.02 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $15.05 and its 200 day moving average is $14.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.94. The firm has a market cap of $9.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.12, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.95. AES has a 52-week low of $9.46 and a 52-week high of $17.65.

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

AES Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a $0.176 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. This represents a $0.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. AES’s dividend payout ratio is presently 55.56%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AES

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its stake in AES by 406.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 1,869 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of AES by 232.5% during the third quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 2,484 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,737 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in AES in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in AES by 50.8% in the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 3,401 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,146 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan grew its holdings in shares of AES by 108.0% during the fourth quarter. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan now owns 7,280 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 3,780 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.13% of the company’s stock.

Key AES News

Here are the key news stories impacting AES this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Maximo (an AES incubated business) completed a 100 MW robotic solar installation at AES’ Bellefield site — a tangible execution milestone that can lower O&M costs and demonstrate scalable, capital‑efficient deployment for AES’ renewables pipeline. Maximo Completes 100 MW of Robotic Solar Installation
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts note AES has 8.2 GW of signed PPAs for data centers, deepening revenue visibility and customer ties (including large tech partners), which supports the company’s long‑term growth and cash‑flow outlook. Can AES Capitalize on Surging Data Center Energy Demand?
• Neutral Sentiment: AES extended the expiration of its consent solicitation for the 2028 notes while consents for its 2030 and 2031 notes expired — an ongoing debt‑holder process that investors should monitor for potential covenant or indenture changes but that doesn’t immediately change operations. AES Announces Extension of Consent Solicitation for its 2028 Notes…
• Neutral Sentiment: A political/opinion piece revisited the controversy around the AES sale process; such coverage can create headline risk but is commentary rather than new company action. Republicans could’ve stopped the AES sale. They chose not to. | Opinion
• Negative Sentiment: Argus downgraded AES from “buy” to “hold,” a near‑term negative for sentiment that can reduce buying pressure from income/growth investors who follow the firm. Argus Downgrades AES to Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity: investors purchased ~17,270 AES put contracts (about 36% above average), signaling elevated short‑term bearish bets that can amplify downside moves.

About AES

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.