American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) saw unusually high trading activity, with 2.86 million shares changing hands, while the stock fell about 3.2% to $126.96 from its prior close of $131.94.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall: several firms raised or maintained bullish price targets, and the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus with an average target price of $141.29.
• The company reported solid quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and it also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share payable on June 10, implying a 3.0% annualized yield.

American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP - Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Wednesday . 2,855,904 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 13% from the previous session's volume of 3,293,726 shares.The stock last traded at $126.9640 and had previously closed at $131.94.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on AEP. Wolfe Research raised shares of American Electric Power from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $137.00 to $136.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $144.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 price target on shares of American Electric Power in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Evercore raised their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $137.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $141.29.

American Electric Power Stock Down 3.2%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $132.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $124.45. The company has a market cap of $69.48 billion, a PE ratio of 18.75, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.56.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.07. American Electric Power had a net margin of 16.29% and a return on equity of 10.21%. The business had revenue of $6.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.72 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.54 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.120-6.420 EPS. On average, analysts predict that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 6.35 earnings per share for the current year.

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. American Electric Power's payout ratio is presently 55.80%.

Insider Transactions at American Electric Power

In related news, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,351 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.46, for a total transaction of $177,602.46. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 15,410 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,025,798.60. The trade was a 8.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Phillip R. Ulrich sold 4,106 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.08, for a total transaction 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Electric Power

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Costello Asset Management INC boosted its holdings in American Electric Power by 100.0% in the 1st quarter. Costello Asset Management INC now owns 200 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management boosted its holdings in American Electric Power by 72.2% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 217 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in American Electric Power by 7,300.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 222 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Optima Capital LLC acquired a new position in American Electric Power in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in American Electric Power in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.