American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP Shares Sold by Virtue Capital Management LLC

Virtue Capital Management LLC lowered its holdings in American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) by 17.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,579 shares of the company’s stock after selling 738 shares during the quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC’s holdings in American Electric Power were worth $371,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in American Electric Power by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 52,467,779 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,444,057,000 after purchasing an additional 197,998 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in American Electric Power by 24.3% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 22,102,537 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,415,144,000 after acquiring an additional 4,323,569 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC raised its position in American Electric Power by 30.4% during the first quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 19,631,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,145,130,000 after acquiring an additional 4,570,941 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in American Electric Power by 2.2% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,352,192 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,379,532,000 after acquiring an additional 285,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in American Electric Power by 8.0% in the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 5,237,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $572,332,000 after acquiring an additional 386,518 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

American Electric Power Stock Performance

NASDAQ AEP opened at $122.67 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.41. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $117.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $110.58. The company has a market cap of $65.52 billion, a PE ratio of 17.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.52. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 1-year low of $89.91 and a 1-year high of $124.80.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $1.80 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.81 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.65 billion. American Electric Power had a return on equity of 11.29% and a net margin of 17.23%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.85 earnings per share. American Electric Power has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.850-5.95 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 5.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This is an increase from American Electric Power’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 10th. American Electric Power’s payout ratio is 55.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on AEP shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of American Electric Power from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $128.00 to $137.00 in a report on Monday, November 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $132.00 to $139.00 in a report on Thursday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $128.00 to $133.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on American Electric Power from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on American Electric Power in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Electric Power has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.85.

Insider Transactions at American Electric Power

In related news, Director Benjamin G. S. Fowke III sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.65, for a total transaction of $543,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 40,898 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,443,567.70. This represents a 10.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,006 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.00, for a total transaction of $112,672.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,676 shares in the company, valued at $635,712. This trade represents a 15.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 16,006 shares of company stock worth $1,851,422 over the last 90 days. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

American Electric Power Profile

American Electric Power Company, Inc, an electric public utility holding company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers in the United States. It operates through Vertically Integrated Utilities, Transmission and Distribution Utilities, AEP Transmission Holdco, and Generation & Marketing segments.