Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Purchases 35,291 Shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP

Key Points

• Ferguson Wellman increased its stake in American Electric Power (AEP) by 35,291 shares (a 4.1% rise) to 886,572 shares, representing 0.17% of AEP and valued at about $102.23 million, making it the firm's 19th largest holding.
• AEP beat quarterly expectations with $1.19 EPS vs. $1.15 consensus and revenue of $5.32B (up 13.2% YoY), set FY2026 guidance of 6.150–6.450 EPS, and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.95 (≈3.0% yield, 56.7% payout ratio).
• Analyst sentiment is largely positive — 13 Buys vs. 9 Holds with an average target of $136.10, and several firms recently raised targets into the $140–$150 range.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP - Free Report) by 4.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 886,572 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 35,291 shares during the quarter. American Electric Power accounts for 1.6% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. owned 0.17% of American Electric Power worth $102,231,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AEP. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Electric Power by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,601 shares of the company's stock valued at $978,000 after buying an additional 1,095 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Electric Power during the first quarter worth about $320,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 149.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,891 shares of the company's stock worth $507,000 after acquiring an additional 2,931 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 9,537 shares of the company's stock worth $990,000 after acquiring an additional 366 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in American Electric Power in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,128,000. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Electric Power Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of AEP stock opened at $128.30 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.45. The company has a market capitalization of $69.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.15, a PEG ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.61. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 52-week low of $97.46 and a 52-week high of $135.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $126.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $119.68.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $5.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.24 EPS. The company'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. Research analysts anticipate that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 5.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Dividend Announcement

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 dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 10th. American Electric Power's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AEP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of American Electric Power in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wolfe Research upgraded American Electric Power from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Argus lifted their target price on American Electric Power from $128.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Siebert Williams Shank initiated coverage on American Electric Power in a report on Thursday, December 18th. They set a "buy" rating and a $137.00 price target for the company. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on American Electric Power from $137.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $136.10.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Electric Power

In other news, EVP Phillip R. Ulrich sold 4,106 shares of American Electric Power stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.08, for a total transaction of $542,320.48. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,263 shares in the company, valued at $5,582,097.04. The trade was 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 business's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 15,410 shares in the company, valued at $2,025,798.60. This trade represents a 8.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.07% of the stock is currently 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.

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.