North Dakota State Investment Board Invests $2.12 Million in American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP

North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 18,348 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,116,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AEP. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 11.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,601 shares of the company’s stock worth $978,000 after purchasing an additional 1,095 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the 1st quarter worth approximately $320,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 149.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,891 shares of the company’s stock worth $507,000 after purchasing an additional 2,931 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL raised its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 2,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AXA S.A. raised its stake in American Electric Power by 95.7% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 79,111 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,209,000 after acquiring an additional 38,684 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

American Electric Power Stock Up 2.0%

AEP opened at $127.68 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $132.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $124.77. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 1-year low of $100.72 and a 1-year high of $139.44. The stock has a market cap of $69.47 billion, a PE ratio of 18.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.56.

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

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 55.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AEP. Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $144.00 price target on shares of American Electric Power in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Seaport Research Partners upgraded American Electric Power from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Evercore increased their price target on American Electric Power from $137.00 to $153.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Citigroup increased their price target on American Electric Power from $132.00 to $148.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on American Electric Power from $144.00 to $148.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.57.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Electric Power

In other American Electric Power news, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,351 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.46, for a total transaction of $177,602.46. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 15,410 shares in the company, valued at $2,025,798.60. This trade represents a 8.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Phillip R. Ulrich sold 4,106 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.08, for a total value of $542,320.48. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,263 shares in the company, valued at $5,582,097.04. The trade was a 8.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.