Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. Lowers Holdings in American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP

Key Points

• Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. cut its stake in American Electric Power by 12.8%, selling 153,943 shares to hold 1,046,775 shares valued at about $117.76 million, making AEP roughly 2.0% of Crawford’s portfolio and its 12th-largest holding.
• Several institutions materially increased positions—Victory Capital (+105.6%), Soroban (+176.3%), AQR (+118.2%) and Ameriprise (+26.8%)—and hedge funds/institutions now own about 75.24% of AEP.
• Analysts have raised ratings and targets (consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $135.90); AEP trades near $133.61, yields 2.8% annually ($3.80) and provided FY2026 EPS guidance of 6.15–6.45.

Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. decreased its holdings in American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP - Free Report) by 12.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,046,775 shares of the company's stock after selling 153,943 shares during the period. American Electric Power accounts for about 2.0% of Crawford Investment Counsel Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. owned approximately 0.20% of American Electric Power worth $117,762,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AEP. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in American Electric Power by 105.6% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,379,342 shares of the company's stock worth $595,243,000 after purchasing an additional 2,763,328 shares during the period. Soroban Capital Partners LP raised its position in shares of American Electric Power by 176.3% during the second quarter. Soroban Capital Partners LP now owns 4,004,686 shares of the company's stock valued at $415,526,000 after buying an additional 2,555,415 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of American Electric Power by 118.2% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,585,605 shares of the company's stock valued at $286,692,000 after buying an additional 1,400,547 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 26.8% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 6,084,813 shares of the company's stock worth $684,772,000 after buying an additional 1,285,279 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 92.3% in the third quarter. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd now owns 2,176,088 shares of the company's stock worth $244,828,000 after buying an additional 1,044,629 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Phillip R. Ulrich sold 4,106 shares of American Electric Power stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.08, for a total value of $542,320.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,582,097.04. This trade represents a 8.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,351 shares of the business'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 value of $177,602.46. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 15,410 shares in the company, valued at $2,025,798.60. The trade was a 8.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on AEP shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $140.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $133.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $132.00 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, March 9th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH upgraded American Electric Power from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $148.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Argus lifted their target price on American Electric Power from $128.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, American Electric Power presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $135.90.

American Electric Power Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of AEP opened at $133.61 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.54 billion, a PE ratio of 19.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.61. The company's fifty day moving average is $124.14 and its 200 day moving average is $118.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.45. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $97.46 and a fifty-two week high of $134.60.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.04. American Electric Power had a net margin of 16.37% and a return on equity of 10.46%. The business had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.24 earnings per share. American Electric Power's quarterly revenue was up 13.2% compared to the same quarter last year. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.150-6.450 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 5.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th were issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. American Electric Power's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 56.72%.

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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