Horizon Investments LLC Buys 15,853 Shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. $AEP

Key Points

• Horizon Investments LLC increased its stake in American Electric Power by 37.5%, purchasing 15,853 shares to hold 58,155 shares valued at about $6.706 million at quarter-end.
• American Electric Power beat quarterly estimates with $1.19 EPS (vs. $1.15 expected) and $5.32 billion in revenue (vs. $5.07 billion), and set FY2026 guidance of 6.150–6.450 EPS (analysts expect ~6.33).
• AEP declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share (annualized $3.80) with an ex-dividend date of May 8 and payment on June 10, implying a ~2.8% yield.

Horizon Investments LLC raised its position in shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP - Free Report) by 37.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 58,155 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,853 shares during the quarter. Horizon Investments LLC's holdings in American Electric Power were worth $6,706,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

American Electric Power Price Performance

AEP stock opened at $136.91 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.42 billion, a PE ratio of 20.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.56. The company's 50-day moving average is $132.54 and its 200-day moving average is $123.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.33. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $97.46 and a 1 year high of $138.49.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.04. American Electric Power had a return on equity of 10.46% and a net margin of 16.37%.The business had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.24 EPS. The firm's 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. Equities research analysts expect that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 6.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

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 given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th. American Electric Power's dividend payout ratio is presently 56.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,351 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Phillip R. Ulrich sold 4,106 shares of American Electric Power stock in a transaction on 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 of the company's stock, 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 corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AEP has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on American Electric Power from $139.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on American Electric Power from $137.00 to $136.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Mizuho raised their target price on American Electric Power from $123.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on American Electric Power from $141.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on American Electric Power from $128.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Electric Power presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.18.

American Electric Power 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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