American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP Holdings Decreased by Aberdeen Group plc

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc reduced its stake in American Electric Power by 7.8%, holding approximately $37.6 million worth of shares after selling 29,224 during the first quarter.
• Wall Street analysts have varied ratings on AEP, with target prices ranging from $110 to $122, and the stock currently holds an average rating of "Hold" with a price target of $111.29.
• American Electric Power recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.93 per share to be paid on September 10th, representing an annualized yield of 3.3%.

Aberdeen Group plc trimmed its holdings in shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP - Free Report) by 7.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 346,275 shares of the company's stock after selling 29,224 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.06% of American Electric Power worth $37,638,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in American Electric Power by 1.1% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 52,269,781 shares of the company's stock worth $5,711,519,000 after buying an additional 579,175 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC grew its position in American Electric Power by 30.4% in the 1st quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 19,631,466 shares of the company's stock worth $2,145,130,000 after purchasing an additional 4,570,941 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in American Electric Power by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 7,047,428 shares of the company's stock worth $649,983,000 after purchasing an additional 85,756 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of American Electric Power by 51.0% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 6,416,474 shares of the company's stock valued at $591,791,000 after acquiring an additional 2,165,888 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the 1st quarter valued at $568,042,000. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Electric Power Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of American Electric Power stock traded up $0.5570 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $113.6970. The company had a trading volume of 485,903 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,551,706. The company's 50-day moving average is $107.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $105.38. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a twelve month low of $89.91 and a twelve month high of $115.36. The company has a market cap of $60.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.41.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $5.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.85 billion. American Electric Power had a net margin of 17.68% and a return on equity of 11.55%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.25 EPS. American Electric Power has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.570-6.770 EPS. Analysts anticipate that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 5.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th will be given a $0.93 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This represents a $3.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. American Electric Power's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on AEP. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $114.00 to $113.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Mizuho set a $116.00 target price on shares of American Electric Power and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Raymond James Financial reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $122.00 price objective (up from $115.00) on shares of American Electric Power in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $102.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $111.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Electric Power

In other news, EVP David Matthew Feinberg sold 8,058 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.74, for a total transaction of $819,820.92. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,274 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,045,276.76. This trade represents a 43.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold a total of 24,173 shares of company stock worth $2,467,015 over the last three months. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About American Electric Power

American Electric Power Company, Inc, an electric public utility holding company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers in the United States. It operates through Vertically Integrated Utilities, Transmission and Distribution Utilities, AEP Transmission Holdco, and Generation & Marketing segments.