Gabelli Funds LLC Reduces Stake in American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP

Gabelli Funds LLC lowered its stake in American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) by 1.6% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 591,850 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,900 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC’s holdings in American Electric Power were worth $77,580,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Czech National Bank increased its holdings in American Electric Power by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 141,141 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,275,000 after acquiring an additional 5,314 shares during the period. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in American Electric Power in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,032,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH boosted its holdings in American Electric Power by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 293,033 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,869,000 after purchasing an additional 8,302 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in American Electric Power by 17.7% in the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 63,526 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,325,000 after purchasing an additional 9,532 shares during the period. Finally, GF Fund Management CO. LTD. grew its position in shares of American Electric Power by 7.4% during the 4th quarter. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. now owns 114,224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,171,000 after purchasing an additional 7,833 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about American Electric Power

Here are the key news stories impacting American Electric Power this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised several forward EPS estimates for American Electric Power, including FY2026, FY2028, FY2029, and FY2030, signaling confidence in the company’s longer-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Other coverage highlighted American Electric Power as one of the utilities names analysts are bullish on, and it was also featured as a defensive stock for stability, which can attract investors looking for lower-volatility holdings. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: KeyCorp’s Q2 estimate for AEP came in at $1.50 per share, while consensus full-year earnings remain around $6.35 per share; investors may be waiting for the company’s actual results next week to see whether it can meet or beat expectations. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed 0 shares short, so there is no meaningful bearish positioning signal from this report.
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets issued a pessimistic outlook on AEP’s stock price, which may be tempering enthusiasm despite the broader bullish analyst tone. Article Title

American Electric Power Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AEP opened at $135.54 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $131.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $129.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.90, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.52. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a one year low of $105.70 and a one year high of $140.58.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.07. American Electric Power had a net margin of 16.29% and a return on equity of 10.21%. The company had revenue of $6.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.72 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.54 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.120-6.420 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 6.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 55.80%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AEP. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $141.00 to $139.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on American Electric Power from $141.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Mizuho boosted their target price on American Electric Power from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on American Electric Power from $147.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price target on American Electric Power from $131.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.71.

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.