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American Electric Power (AEP) Stock Forecast & Price Target

American Electric Power logo
$122.32 +0.24 (+0.20%)
Closing price 10/8/2026 04:00 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$121.94 -0.38 (-0.31%)
As of 04:01 AM Eastern
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American Electric Power - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
9
Buy
13

Based on 22 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for American Electric Power in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 22 analysts, 9 have given a hold rating, and 13 have given a buy rating for AEP.

Consensus Price Target

$139.62
14.14% Upside
According to the 22 analysts' twelve-month price targets for American Electric Power, the average price target is $139.62. The highest price target for AEP is $154.00, while the lowest price target for AEP is $122.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 14.14% from the current price of $122.32.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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AEP Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
10/9/25 to 10/9/26
1 Month Ago
9/9/25 to 9/9/26
3 Months Ago
7/11/25 to 7/11/26
1 Year Ago
10/9/24 to 10/9/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
13 Buy rating(s)
13 Buy rating(s)
13 Buy rating(s)
7 Buy rating(s)
Hold
9 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$139.62$140.19$141.38$114.10
Forecasted Upside14.14% Upside12.45% Upside4.39% Upside-2.40% Downside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyHold

AEP Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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AEP Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

American Electric Power Stock vs. The Competition

TypeAmerican Electric PowerUtilities CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.59
2.41
2.52
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside14.14% Upside66.21% Upside19.63% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Neutral News

See Recent AEP News
Positive News
Neutral News
Report Date
0 Results
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
9/30/2026
Scotiabank logo
Scotiabank
4 of 5 stars
Andrew Weisel
2 of 5 stars
Lower TargetSector Perform$140.00 ➝ $131.00+9.81%
9/21/2026
UBS Group AG logo
UBS Group
4 of 5 stars
 Set Target$139.00+15.21%
9/21/2026
James Thalacker
3 of 5 stars
Reiterated RatingMarket Perform
9/18/2026Lower TargetOverweight$135.00 ➝ $128.00+5.75%
9/9/2026Reiterated RatingBuy
8/27/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy (B)
8/17/2026Lower TargetBuy$146.00 ➝ $139.00+10.67%
8/5/2026Lower TargetNeutral$148.00 ➝ $142.00+12.47%
8/3/2026Lower TargetEqual Weight$138.00 ➝ $129.00+0.90%
7/31/2026Lower TargetNeutral$141.00 ➝ $135.00+4.87%
7/1/2026 Boost TargetBuy$147.00 ➝ $154.00+12.88%
6/18/2026Lower TargetBuy$148.00 ➝ $143.00+11.36%
5/15/2026Lower TargetNeutral$141.00 ➝ $140.00+10.73%
5/8/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform$144.00+9.57%
5/6/2026Boost TargetOverweight$144.00 ➝ $148.00+10.36%
4/15/2026 Boost TargetBuy$141.00 ➝ $142.00+5.42%
3/5/2026Boost TargetOutperform$137.00 ➝ $153.00+14.59%
3/2/2026 Boost TargetBuy$128.00 ➝ $140.00+4.62%
2/13/2026UpgradePeer Perform ➝ Outperform$142.00+12.32%
1/12/2026DowngradeBuy ➝ Neutral$131.00 ➝ $122.00+4.35%
12/18/2025Set Target$137.00+18.52%
12/18/2025 Initiated CoverageBuy$137.00+18.59%
10/21/2025 Initiated CoverageNeutral
5/7/2025Boost TargetBuy$109.00 ➝ $115.00+7.46%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Friday at 05:17 AM ET.


Should I Buy American Electric Power Stock? AEP Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these American Electric Power pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

American Electric Power
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in American Electric Power Company, Inc.:

  • American Electric Power Company, Inc. offers a defensive investment profile with a low beta of 0.48, meaning its stock price tends to be less volatile than the broader market, which is attractive for investors seeking stability. The company currently trades at $122.32, providing a relatively safe entry point compared to its 52-week high of $140.58, while still offering a solid dividend yield of 3.12% that provides consistent income.
  • The company is positioned to benefit significantly from the growing demand for electricity driven by data centers, as evidenced by the finalized expanded agreement with TeraWulf Inc. that doubles contracted electric demand for Kentucky Power. This development highlights the utility's strategic role in powering high-demand technological infrastructure, which supports long-term revenue growth and justifies the company's substantial capital investment plans.
  • Wall Street analysts maintain a positive outlook on the stock, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $140.05 as of late September 2026. This target price suggests approximately 14.5% upside potential from the current stock price of $122.32, indicating that institutional investors believe the current valuation is attractive relative to the company's future earnings potential.
  • American Electric Power Company, Inc. has demonstrated consistent revenue growth, with year-over-year revenue increasing by 7.0% in the most recent quarter to $5.45 billion. This growth trajectory, combined with the company's diversified energy portfolio that includes nuclear, renewable, and natural gas sources, provides a robust foundation for meeting increasing customer demand across the 11 states it serves.
  • The company maintains a strong dividend track record, having recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, which annualizes to $3.80. With a payout ratio of 65.18%, the dividend is well-covered by earnings, offering investors a reliable income stream that is insulated from short-term market fluctuations, a key feature for income-focused portfolios.

American Electric Power
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in American Electric Power Company, Inc. for these reasons:

  • The company is undertaking a massive $78 billion capital buildout to meet data center demand, which requires heavy borrowing and stock issuance. This aggressive expansion strategy increases financial leverage and could pressure the company's credit profile, while the pace of dividend increases may slow down as capital is diverted to infrastructure projects rather than shareholder returns.
  • Recent earnings results have shown mixed performance, with the company reporting an EPS of $1.36 for the quarter ended July 30, 2026, which missed analysts' consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.12. This earnings miss, despite revenue beating expectations, suggests potential margin pressures or higher-than-anticipated costs that could impact profitability in the near term.
  • Institutional investors have recently reduced their holdings in the company, with Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. decreasing its stake by 22.5% in the third quarter. This significant sell-off by a major institutional holder may signal a lack of confidence in the stock's short-term performance or a strategic reallocation of capital away from the utility sector.
  • The stock is currently trading below its 50-day simple moving average of $123.64 and its 200-day simple moving average of $129.01, indicating a downward technical trend. This price action suggests that the stock is underperforming relative to its recent averages, which could deter momentum-based investors and indicate broader market skepticism about the company's current valuation.
  • Insider selling activity has been notable, with Chief Accounting Officer Kate Dixon selling 2,000 shares in September 2026 and other executives like Phillip R Ulrich and Kelly J Ferneau also reducing their positions in early 2026. While these sales may be part of pre-arranged trading plans, a pattern of insider selling can be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the stock's near-term upside potential.

AEP Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 22 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for American Electric Power is $139.62, with a high forecast of $154.00 and a low forecast of $122.00.

22 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for American Electric Power in the last year. There are currently 9 hold ratings and 13 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" AEP shares.

According to analysts, American Electric Power's stock has a predicted upside of 14.14% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

American Electric Power has been rated by research analysts at Barclays, BMO Capital Markets, Citigroup, Mizuho, Morgan Stanley, Scotiabank, TD Cowen, Truist Financial, UBS Group, and Weiss Ratings in the past 90 days.

Analysts like American Electric Power more than other "utilities" companies. The consensus rating for American Electric Power is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "utilities" companies is Hold. Learn more on how AEP compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for American Electric Power analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 9/30/2026.
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