American Electric downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan

JPMorgan downgraded American Electric (AEP) to Neutral from Overweight with a price target of $102, down from $109. The company’s new CEO Bill Fehrman has introduced a number of key organizational changes that are encouraging, but the transition likely takes time, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm appreciates American Electric’s increasing regulated generation opportunity, but says it remains a majority wires company. JPMorgan sees data center and onshoring load growth trends providing more upside to those “with more generation torque,” such as Xcel Energy (XEL). As as result, the firm sees stronger risk/reward propositions elsewhere in its coverage.