American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) Receives $127.39 Average Price Target from Brokerages

American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have assigned a hold recommendation, ten have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $129.2750.

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Wolfe Research upgraded 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 report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of American Electric Power from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $128.00 to $137.00 in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of American Electric Power in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on American Electric Power from $123.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on American Electric Power from $114.00 to $107.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 17th.

American Electric Power Trading Up 2.8%

NASDAQ AEP opened at $129.94 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $117.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $116.02. American Electric Power has a twelve month low of $97.46 and a twelve month high of $130.07. The company has a market capitalization of $70.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.39, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.62.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.07 billion. American Electric Power had a return on equity of 10.46% and a net margin of 16.37%.The company’s revenue was up 13.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.24 EPS. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.150-6.450 EPS. Research analysts forecast that American Electric Power will post 5.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio is 56.72%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Benjamin G. S. Fowke III sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.07, for a total transaction of $575,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,898 shares in the company, valued at $2,980,082.86. This represents a 16.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Electric Power

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 105.6% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,379,342 shares of the company’s stock worth $595,243,000 after purchasing an additional 2,763,328 shares during the last quarter. Soroban Capital Partners LP lifted its holdings in American Electric Power by 176.3% in the 2nd quarter. Soroban Capital Partners LP now owns 4,004,686 shares of the company’s stock worth $415,526,000 after buying an additional 2,555,415 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of American Electric Power by 357.5% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,957,491 shares of the company’s stock worth $225,718,000 after buying an additional 1,529,662 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 30,437,776 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,509,780,000 after buying an additional 1,514,865 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 118.2% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,585,605 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,692,000 after acquiring an additional 1,400,547 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting American Electric Power

Here are the key news stories impacting American Electric Power this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AEP beat Q4 EPS and revenue estimates, reaffirmed FY2026 operating EPS guidance of $6.15–$6.45 and reiterated 7%–9% long‑term earnings growth — supports the rally. AEP Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: AEP said contracted large‑load pipeline doubled to 56 GW (data centers) by 2030 — a major demand catalyst that underpins higher transmission/distribution investment and revenue visibility. AEP contracted large load pipeline doubles to 56 GW
• Positive Sentiment: Company expanded its five‑year capital plan (> $72B) and identified $5B–$8B of incremental investment opportunities to meet surging electricity demand — suggests sustained higher capex and regulated rate base growth. AEP expands spending plan, beats profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $141 and maintained a Buy rating, giving additional analyst support for upside. Goldman Sachs adjusts price target on American Electric Power to $141
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho nudged its target to $130 with a Neutral rating — less bullish than Goldman, so not a major directional driver. AEP price target raised at Mizuho
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple analyst writeups and presentations highlight data centers as a multi‑year catalyst; useful context but mostly reiterative analysis. Seeking Alpha: Data Centers Are A Catalyst
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest notes in some feeds show odd/zero values (likely reporting artifacts) and are not a reliable driver of today’s move.
• Negative Sentiment: TipRanks flagged a new risk about trade‑policy and geopolitical shifts that could raise procurement costs and pressure cash flows over time — a longer‑term risk to margins and capital program costs. TipRanks: Trade Policy Shifts and Geopolitical Risks Threaten AEP

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.