20,734 Shares in American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP Acquired by ABC Arbitrage SA

Key Points

• ABC Arbitrage SA opened a new position in American Electric Power, buying 20,734 shares worth about $2.39 million in the fourth quarter. Institutional investors now hold 75.24% of the utility’s shares.
• American Electric Power reported a strong quarter, with EPS of $1.64 beating estimates and revenue of $6.02 billion topping expectations. The company also raised its full-year outlook, with analysts now expecting about $6.35 EPS for the current year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, payable June 10, implying an annualized dividend of $3.80 and a yield of about 2.9%. Wall Street remains moderately positive, with a consensus price target of $141.29.

ABC Arbitrage SA acquired a new stake in shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 20,734 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,391,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Activest Wealth Management lifted its stake in American Electric Power by 72.2% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 217 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of American Electric Power by 330.2% during the third quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 228 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Optima Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 7,300.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 222 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company's stock.

American Electric Power Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ AEP opened at $130.70 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $132.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.34. The company has a market cap of $71.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.19, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.39. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $97.46 and a 1 year high of $139.44.

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

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. American Electric Power's dividend payout ratio is presently 55.80%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AEP has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group increased their price target on American Electric Power from $132.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Mizuho upped their price objective on American Electric Power from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on American Electric Power from $137.00 to $136.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Argus raised their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $128.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $141.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Electric Power

In other American Electric Power news, EVP Phillip R. Ulrich sold 4,106 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,582,097.04. This trade represents a 8.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,351 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 15,410 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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. Company insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AEP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP - Free Report).

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.