Wealthfront Advisers LLC Takes $17.29 Million Position in American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP

Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 126,353 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,286,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AEP. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the 4th quarter worth $32,032,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 293,033 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,869,000 after acquiring an additional 8,302 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 52,496,895 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,053,417,000 after acquiring an additional 828,588 shares in the last quarter. Dockside LLC purchased a new stake in American Electric Power in the fourth quarter worth about $1,912,000. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its stake in American Electric Power by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 10,626,841 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,225,381,000 after acquiring an additional 57,807 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

American Electric Power Price Performance

AEP opened at $126.35 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $131.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $130.46. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $105.70 and a 1 year high of $140.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 0.50 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.78 billion, a PE ratio of 21.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.52.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.34 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. The business’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. Research analysts anticipate that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH cut their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $148.00 to $143.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $148.00 to $142.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $144.00 price objective on shares of American Electric Power in a research note on Friday, May 8th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective 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, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of American Electric Power from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.38.

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.