American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) Stock Position Decreased by James Investment Research Inc.

James Investment Research Inc. cut its position in shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) by 69.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 12,010 shares of the company’s stock after selling 27,210 shares during the period. James Investment Research Inc.’s holdings in American Electric Power were worth $1,108,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial acquired a new position in shares of American Electric Power during the 3rd quarter valued at about $50,000. 75.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Electric Power Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AEP opened at $101.83 on Friday. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 1-year low of $79.01 and a 1-year high of $105.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.19 billion, a PE ratio of 20.41, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.58. The business’s 50 day moving average is $95.57 and its 200-day moving average is $97.95. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47.

American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.24. American Electric Power had a return on equity of 11.41% and a net margin of 13.48%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that American Electric Power Company, Inc. will post 5.58 earnings per share for the current year.

American Electric Power Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $0.93 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $3.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.65%. American Electric Power’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 74.55%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AEP has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on American Electric Power from $109.00 to $104.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on American Electric Power from $104.00 to $102.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Barclays lowered their target price on American Electric Power from $100.00 to $99.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $102.00 target price (down previously from $109.00) on shares of American Electric Power in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their target price on American Electric Power from $97.00 to $96.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $98.00.

About American Electric Power

American Electric Power Company, Inc, an electric public utility holding company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers in the United States. It operates through Vertically Integrated Utilities, Transmission and Distribution Utilities, AEP Transmission Holdco, and Generation & Marketing segments.