KBC Group NV Purchases 5,722 Shares of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP)

KBC Group NV boosted its stake in American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP - Free Report) by 15.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 43,546 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,722 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in American Electric Power were worth $4,468,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in American Electric Power by 57.2% during the second quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 283 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC increased its position in shares of American Electric Power by 935.9% in the second quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 404 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 365 shares during the last quarter. Briaud Financial Planning Inc increased its position in shares of American Electric Power by 52.1% in the second quarter. Briaud Financial Planning Inc now owns 438 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Naples Money Management LLC acquired a new position in American Electric Power during the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in American Electric Power during the second quarter valued at approximately $48,000. 75.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on AEP shares. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of American Electric Power in a research note on Friday, September 20th. They set a "hold" rating and a $107.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays raised their price target on shares of American Electric Power from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of American Electric Power from $104.00 to $102.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on American Electric Power from $108.00 to $112.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of American Electric Power from $97.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $98.27.

American Electric Power Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AEP traded up $0.25 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $96.56. The company had a trading volume of 1,875,482 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,156,726. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $99.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $95.26. American Electric Power Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $75.22 and a 1 year high of $105.18. The company has a market capitalization of $51.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.55. 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 Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be paid a $0.93 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $3.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.85%. This is a positive change from American Electric Power's previous quarterly dividend of $0.88. American Electric Power's dividend payout ratio is currently 74.55%.

American Electric Power Company Profile

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.