Brokerages Set American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) PT at $141.43

Shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $140.7143.

AEP has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered American Electric Power from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on American Electric Power from $136.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of American Electric Power in a research note on Monday, June 1st. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH cut their price target on American Electric Power from $148.00 to $143.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners raised American Electric Power from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th.

American Electric Power Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:AEP opened at $125.73 on Monday. American Electric Power has a 52 week low of $105.70 and a 52 week high of $140.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.50. The company’s fifty day moving average is $131.55 and its 200-day moving average is $130.06. The company has a market capitalization of $68.45 billion, a PE ratio of 21.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.52.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last announced its earnings results 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). The firm had revenue of $5.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.34 billion. American Electric Power had a return on equity of 9.95% and a net margin of 13.78%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.43 EPS. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.250-6.550 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that American Electric Power will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.18%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Electric Power

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of AEP. Activest Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 72.2% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Optima Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 7,300.0% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 222 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the period. Costello Asset Management INC boosted its holdings in American Electric Power by 100.0% in the first quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID increased its position in American Electric Power by 200.0% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 231 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.