American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Truist Financial

Key Points

• Truist Financial upgraded American Electric Power to a strong‑buy, joining other bullish notes (Wolfe, Raymond James, Wells Fargo) while the Street consensus remains a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $138.32.
• AEP beat Q‑results with $1.19 EPS (above $1.15 est.) and $5.32B revenue (up 13.2% YoY) and set FY2026 guidance of 6.15–6.45 EPS (analysts forecast ~6.33 EPS).
• The stock trades near $131.89 with a market cap of $71.7B, a P/E of 19.7 and a 52‑week range of $97.46–$137.74, while insiders have trimmed small positions and institutions own about 75% of shares.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Truist Financial to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Wolfe Research raised American Electric Power from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Bank of America lowered American Electric Power from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $131.00 to $122.00 in a report on Monday, January 12th. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on American Electric Power from $138.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday. Argus upped their target price on American Electric Power from $128.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on American Electric Power from $128.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.32.

American Electric Power Stock Performance

Shares of AEP opened at $131.89 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.45. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $131.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $122.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.69, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.58. American Electric Power has a 52 week low of $97.46 and a 52 week high of $137.74.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion during 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 for the quarter was up 13.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.24 EPS. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.150-6.450 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that American Electric Power will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at American Electric Power

In related news, EVP Phillip R. Ulrich sold 4,106 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 approximately $5,582,097.04. This represents a 8.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,351 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.46, for a total value of $177,602.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 15,410 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,025,798.60. The trade was a 8.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Electric Power

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AEP. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in American Electric Power by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,601 shares of the company's stock valued at $978,000 after purchasing an additional 1,095 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in American Electric Power in the first quarter valued at approximately $320,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in American Electric Power by 149.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,891 shares of the company's stock valued at $507,000 after purchasing an additional 2,931 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its stake in American Electric Power by 4.4% in the second quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 2,505 shares of the company's stock valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AXA S.A. lifted its stake in American Electric Power by 95.7% in the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 79,111 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,209,000 after purchasing an additional 38,684 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company's stock.

Key American Electric Power News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Seaport Global upgraded AEP, adding to the wave of bullish analyst action on the name. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James raised its price target to $143 and kept an Outperform rating, signaling about mid-single-digit upside vs. recent levels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Truist initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $148 price target, the most bullish of the recent notes and implying double‑digit upside from current levels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its target to $144 and maintained an Overweight rating, another supportive vote from the sell side. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its target slightly to $136 from $137 but kept an Overweight rating — a modest pullback in target that still reflects a favorable view. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary: Goldman Sachs flagged energy dividend names as attractive into Q1 earnings, and The Motley Fool highlighted utility dividend stocks as buyable—positive for sentiment toward regulated utility cash flows but not company‑specific catalysts. Article Title Article Title

American Electric Power Company Profile

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.

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