American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP Shares Acquired by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

Key Points

• VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al boosted its AEP stake by 280.5% in the fourth quarter, ending with 253,800 shares valued at about $29.3 million.
• AEP posted better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.64 versus $1.57 expected and revenue of $6.02 billion versus $5.72 billion estimated; revenue rose 10.2% year over year.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95, implying a 3.0% annual yield, while analysts currently view the stock as a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $141.29.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al increased its stake in shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP - Free Report) by 280.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 253,800 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 187,100 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al's holdings in American Electric Power were worth $29,266,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AEP. Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in American Electric Power by 72.2% during the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 217 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in American Electric Power during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in American Electric Power by 330.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 228 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Optima Capital LLC acquired a new stake in American Electric Power during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its stake in American Electric Power by 7,300.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 222 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AEP has been the topic of several research analyst reports. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded shares of American Electric Power from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $148.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $139.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $131.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Argus raised their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $128.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of American Electric Power in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $141.29.

American Electric Power Trading Down 3.0%

Shares of American Electric Power stock opened at $127.95 on Thursday. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $97.46 and a 1 year high of $139.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.53. The company has a market capitalization of $69.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.79, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.56. The company's fifty day moving average is $132.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $124.53.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $6.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.72 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.54 EPS. American Electric Power's revenue for the quarter was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.120-6.420 EPS. Analysts forecast that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 6.35 earnings per share for the current year.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. American Electric Power's payout ratio is presently 55.80%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,351 shares of American Electric Power stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.46, for a total value of $177,602.46. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 15,410 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,025,798.60. The trade was a 8.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Phillip R. Ulrich sold 4,106 shares of American Electric Power 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,582,097.04. The trade was a 8.86% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.05% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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