American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

AEP has been the topic of a number of other reports. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on American Electric Power from $148.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Barclays lowered their price objective on American Electric Power from $129.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 12th. HSBC started coverage on American Electric Power in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $145.90 price objective for the company. KeyCorp upgraded shares of American Electric Power from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $133.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, BTIG Research raised shares of American Electric Power from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $147.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.70.

American Electric Power Stock Performance

NASDAQ AEP opened at $129.22 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $123.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $127.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. American Electric Power has a 12-month low of $112.54 and a 12-month high of $140.58. The firm has a market cap of $70.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.16, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.48.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by ($0.12). American Electric Power had a net margin of 13.78% and a return on equity of 9.95%. The company had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.34 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.43 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.250-6.550 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that American Electric Power will post 6.40 EPS for the current year.

American Electric Power Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 10th will be given a dividend of $0.97 per share. This represents a $3.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 10th. This is a positive change from American Electric Power’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. American Electric Power’s payout ratio is presently 65.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Electric Power

In other American Electric Power news, CAO Kate Dixon sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total transaction of $250,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 15,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,982,000. This represents a 11.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Costello Asset Management INC grew its stake in American Electric Power by 100.0% in the first quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in American Electric Power by 118.0% in the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in American Electric Power during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in American Electric Power during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Premier Financial Group purchased a new position in American Electric Power during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

American Electric Power Company Profile

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) is an electric utility holding company that generates, transmits and distributes electricity to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers. Through its operating companies, AEP provides regulated electric service and manages power generation assets using a mix of energy resources, including natural gas, coal, nuclear, hydroelectric and renewable energy.

AEP operates one of the largest electric transmission systems in the United States and supplies electricity across portions of Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.