Diversified Trust Co. increased its holdings in American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP – Free Report) by 64.6% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 21,185 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 8,317 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co.’s holdings in American Electric Power were worth $2,443,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 105.6% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,379,342 shares of the company’s stock valued at $595,243,000 after purchasing an additional 2,763,328 shares during the last quarter. Soroban Capital Partners LP raised its position in shares of American Electric Power by 176.3% during the 2nd quarter. Soroban Capital Partners LP now owns 4,004,686 shares of the company’s stock worth $415,526,000 after purchasing an additional 2,555,415 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Electric Power by 118.2% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,585,605 shares of the company’s stock worth $286,692,000 after purchasing 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 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 6,084,813 shares of the company’s stock worth $684,772,000 after purchasing an additional 1,285,279 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd boosted its position in American Electric Power by 92.3% during the 3rd quarter. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd now owns 2,176,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $244,828,000 after purchasing an additional 1,044,629 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, EVP Phillip R. Ulrich sold 4,106 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 42,263 shares in the company, valued at $5,582,097.04. This represents a 8.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Kelly J. Ferneau sold 1,351 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $2,025,798.60. This represents a 8.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.
American Electric Power Stock Up 0.7%
American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.07 billion. American Electric Power had a net margin of 16.37% and a return on equity of 10.46%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.24 EPS. American Electric Power has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.150-6.450 EPS. On average, analysts expect that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 5.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.
American Electric Power Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th were given a $0.95 dividend. 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 is 56.72%.
Key Stories Impacting American Electric Power
Here are the key news stories impacting American Electric Power this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target bump: a published note raised AEP’s price target to $137, a direct positive signal for investor sentiment and valuation expectations. American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) Price Target Raised to $137.00
- Positive Sentiment: DOE / AEP Ohio / SoftBank partnership: AEP is involved in a major data-center and grid investment in Ohio, highlighting industrial load growth and grid modernization opportunities that can drive future regulated and non-regulated revenue. DOE, AEP Ohio, SoftBank unveil major data center, grid investment in Ohio
- Positive Sentiment: Leadership update: AEP named a new president for Appalachian Power, a governance/management move that supports execution at a regional level and can ease investor concerns about operational continuity. AEP names new leader of Appalachian Power
- Positive Sentiment: Macro-growth thesis coverage: a Seeking Alpha piece highlights AEP as a way to play electrification trends (EVs, data centers, electrified loads), reinforcing the growth narrative for longer-term investors. American Electric Power: An Attractive Exposure To The Electrification Boom
- Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reporting oddity: multiple feeds flag a “large increase” in short interest but show 0 shares and NaN changes — likely a reporting/data glitch rather than meaningful short activity. This likely has limited market impact unless corrected.
- Neutral Sentiment: Valuation check articles ask whether AEP is fairly priced after multi‑year gains; these pieces recap strong long-term returns and mixed near-term performance, prompting some investors to reassess position sizing. Is It Time To Reassess American Electric Power (AEP) After Strong Multi‑Year Gains?
- Negative Sentiment: Competitive comparison: multiple articles contrast AEP with NextEra (NEE), noting NextEra’s stronger ROE, faster EPS growth outlook and larger capex program; this can weigh on AEP’s relative appeal for growth-focused investors. NEE vs. AEP: Which Power Utility Offers Stronger Investment Potential? NEE vs. AEP (Zacks)
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of brokerages recently commented on AEP. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of American Electric Power in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $123.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of American Electric Power from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Evercore increased their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $137.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $125.00 to $136.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Electric Power presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $136.10.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on American Electric Power
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.
Further Reading
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