AEP vs EXC Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
American Electric Power and Exelon are both large regulated utility holding companies with substantial transmission and distribution infrastructure, but AEP maintains regulated generation assets alongside transmission, while Exelon has become a pure-play regulated distribution utility following the separation of its nuclear generation business.
AEP offers a blend of regulated generation and transmission investment opportunities, while EXC offers a more focused, pure-play regulated distribution utility model. The decision depends on whether you prefer a diversified regulated utility or a simplified distribution-only business.
AEP holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. AEP has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+10.59% vs -7.65%), though EXC has the better forward P/E setup (14.46x vs 17.99x for AEP). On fundamentals, EXC is growing revenue faster (9.90%), while AEP maintains the higher operating margin (23.25%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for AEP (+16.76%) than for EXC (+11.27%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want exposure to a diversified regulated utility spanning transmission, generation, and distribution
- Value the scale of one of the largest high-voltage transmission networks in the country
- Believe growing data center load demand will support long-term rate base growth
- Are comfortable managing exposure across multiple state regulatory jurisdictions
- Prefer a simplified, pure-play regulated distribution utility model
- Value the stability of serving several major Mid-Atlantic and Midwest metropolitan areas
- Believe data center load growth in its territories supports rate base investment opportunities
- Want a utility investment thesis less complicated by generation asset exposure
| Metric | AEP | EXC |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 52.1 | 51.1 |
| AI ranki | #399 | #933 |
| Latest closei | $129.69 | $44.43 |
| 1M returni | +9.54% | +9.19% |
| 3M returni | -4.32% | -6.52% |
| 6M returni | -3.74% | -5.31% |
| 1Y returni | +10.59% | -7.65% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | AEP | EXC |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.16K (+11.6%) started 2025-10-23 | $9.33K (-6.7%) started 2025-10-23 |
| 5Y ago | $20.5K (+105.0%) started 2021-10-25 | $15.89K (+58.9%) started 2021-10-25 |
| 10Y ago | $40.37K (+303.7%) started 2016-10-24 | $37.08K (+270.8%) started 2016-10-24 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | AEP | EXC |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $67.14B | $45.26B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 21.37 | 16.15 |
| Forward P/Ei | 17.99 | 14.46 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | 1.82 |
| EV/Revenuei | 5.32 | 3.80 |
| Analyst targeti | $144.00 | $48.88 |
| Target upsidei | +16.76% | +11.27% |
| Metric | AEP | EXC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 7.00% | 9.90% |
| Earnings growthi | -43.20% | -0.20% |
| EPS growthi | -43.20% | -0.20% |
| FCF margini | -26.31% | -10.60% |
| Operating margini | 23.25% | 16.59% |
| Profit margini | 13.78% | 10.99% |
| ROIC proxyi | 10.13% | 9.71% |
| Return on equityi | 10.13% | 9.71% |
| Dividend yieldi | 3.08% | 3.82% |
| Payout ratioi | 65.51% | 60.29% |
| Dividend growth streaki | No increase yet | No increase yet |
| Betai | 0.50 | 0.40 |
| Debt/equityi | 160.79 | 177.36 |
| Current ratioi | 0.50 | 1.09 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.28 | 0.72 |
Over the past year, AEP and EXC have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.70), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | AEP | EXC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +11.63% | -6.66% |
| CAGRi | +11.65% | -6.67% | |
| Volatilityi | 19.36% | 20.10% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.43 | -0.47 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.64 | -0.66 | |
| Max drawdowni | 15.23% | 20.06% | |
| Current drawdowni | 6.49% | 11.65% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 5.19% | 8.14% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 6.59% | 9.38% | |
| Max daily dropi | 3.79% | 3.27% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 5.95% | 7.02% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +76.38% | +37.91% |
| CAGRi | +12.03% | +6.65% | |
| Volatilityi | 20.22% | 20.98% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.44 | 0.20 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.63 | 0.28 | |
| Max drawdowni | 29.56% | 29.05% | |
| Current drawdowni | 6.49% | 11.65% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 8.31% | 11.75% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 10.88% | 13.85% | |
| Max daily dropi | 5.34% | 7.56% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 11.71% | 15.10% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +180.93% | +159.36% |
| CAGRi | +10.89% | +10.00% | |
| Volatilityi | 21.07% | 23.98% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.38 | 0.33 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.54 | 0.47 | |
| Max drawdowni | 32.91% | 40.04% | |
| Current drawdowni | 6.49% | 11.65% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 8.68% | 9.55% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 11.30% | 12.43% | |
| Max daily dropi | 11.58% | 16.09% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 21.00% | 27.20% |
| Category | AEP | EXC |
|---|---|---|
| Company | American Electric Power Company, Inc. | Exelon Corporation |
| Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| Industry | Utilities - Regulated Electric | Utilities - Regulated Electric |
| Core business | One of the largest regulated electric utility holding companies in the United States, operating an extensive high-voltage transmission network alongside regulated generation and distribution utilities across multiple states. | A regulated electric and natural gas utility holding company operating multiple distribution utilities across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest United States, following the separation of its competitive nuclear generation business. |
| Investor focus | Transmission infrastructure investment and rate base growth, data center and large commercial load growth in its service territories, and regulatory outcomes across its multi-state operating footprint. | Regulated rate base growth across its distribution utility subsidiaries, data center load growth capture in its service territories, and regulatory relationship quality across multiple state jurisdictions. |
- Extensive high-voltage transmission network provides critical infrastructure with visible, regulated investment opportunities
- Large, diversified multi-state service territory spreads regulatory and economic risk across different jurisdictions
- Growing data center and large commercial load demand across its territories supports a longer runway for rate base growth
- Focus on pure-play regulated distribution utility operations following its generation business separation simplifies the investment thesis
- Service territories spanning several major Mid-Atlantic and Midwest metropolitan areas provide a stable, diversified customer base
- Growing data center and large commercial load demand in its territories supports rate base investment opportunities
- Operating across multiple state regulatory jurisdictions requires managing varied and sometimes unpredictable regulatory outcomes
- Large-scale transmission and generation investment requires sustained access to capital at reasonable costs
- Balancing traditional generation assets with the pace of clean energy transition policy across different states adds complexity
- Operating across multiple state regulatory jurisdictions requires navigating varied rate case outcomes and political dynamics
- Focus on regulated distribution alone provides less diversification than utilities with generation or renewable business segments
- Aging infrastructure across some service territories requires sustained capital investment to maintain reliability
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