American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) Upgraded by UBS Group to Neutral Rating

UBS Group upgraded shares of American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research report report published on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. UBS Group currently has $132.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $115.00.

AEP has been the topic of several other research reports. TD Cowen lifted their price target on American Electric Power from $137.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on American Electric Power from $121.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Wolfe Research raised shares of American Electric Power from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Bank of America downgraded shares of American Electric Power from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $131.00 to $122.00 in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating on shares of American Electric Power in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $132.53.

American Electric Power Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of AEP traded up $1.72 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $133.82. 3,331,942 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,505,711. The company has a market cap of $72.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.97, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.45. American Electric Power has a fifty-two week low of $97.46 and a fifty-two week high of $134.60. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $120.75 and its 200-day moving average is $117.19.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.04. American Electric Power had a return on equity of 10.46% and a net margin of 16.37%.The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.24 EPS. American Electric Power’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.2% on a year-over-year basis. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.150-6.450 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Electric Power will post 5.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio is 56.72%.

Insider Transactions at American Electric Power

In other American Electric Power news, Director Benjamin G. S. Fowke III sold 5,000 shares of American Electric Power stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.07, for a total value of $575,350.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,898 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,980,082.86. The trade was a 16.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,351 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.46, for a total transaction of $177,602.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 15,410 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,025,798.60. The trade was a 8.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Electric Power

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AEP. Arwa LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Electric Power in the fourth quarter worth $1,328,000. BDFS Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the fourth quarter worth approximately $313,000. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in shares of American Electric Power in the fourth quarter valued at about $270,000. DGS Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of American Electric Power in the fourth quarter worth about $248,000. Finally, Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the fourth quarter worth $190,000. 75.24% of the stock is 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.