AEP vs. TLN: American Electric Power vs. Talen Energy Stock Comparison
How do American Electric Power (AEP) and Talen Energy (TLN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
American Electric Power (AEP) and Talen Energy (TLN) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but AEP is classified in Electric Utilities while TLN is classified in Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers.
American Electric Power (AEP) has more than two decades of public-market history since January 2, 1962, whereas Talen Energy (TLN) listed on June 2, 2023 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | AEP | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | American Electric Power Company, Inc. | Talen Energy Corporation |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry Group | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry | Electric Utilities | Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Electric Utilities | Independent Power Producers & Energy Traders |
| Market Capitalization | 68.90 billion USD | 14.73 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | January 2, 1962 | June 2, 2023 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AEP | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 8.60% | -6.63% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 22.18% | 88.64% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.81% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Talen Energy (TLN) has an aggressive beta of 1.53, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while American Electric Power (AEP) is defensive at 0.46 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | AEP | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 18.45% | 58.28% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.46 | 1.53 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -29.56% | -36.72% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.64M | 1.01M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AEP | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.23 | -0.19 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.33 | -0.26 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) reports a negative ROE of -16.54%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile American Electric Power (AEP) reports 10.60%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AEP
Utilities industry group
10.60%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- AEP
- 10.60%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
TLN
Utilities industry group
-16.54%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
- TLN
- -16.54%
Net Margin (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) reports a negative net margin of -5.67%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile American Electric Power (AEP) reports 14.21%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AEP
Utilities industry group
14.21%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- AEP
- 14.21%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
TLN
Utilities industry group
-5.67%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
- TLN
- -5.67%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both American Electric Power (AEP) at 26.89% and Talen Energy (TLN) at 17.35% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
AEP
Utilities industry group
26.89%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- AEP
- 26.89%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
TLN
Utilities industry group
17.35%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- TLN
- 17.35%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AEP | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 10.60% | -16.54% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.04% | 0.88% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 14.21% | -5.67% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 26.89% | 17.35% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 46.62% | 42.67% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Talen Energy (TLN) at 26.68% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while American Electric Power (AEP) at 10.93% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for TLN.
EPS Growth
American Electric Power (AEP) at 19.35% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Talen Energy (TLN) at -127.11% falls below its industry range, a notably weak earnings reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AEP | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 10.93% | 26.68% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 3.66% | 2.87% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 19.35% | -127.11% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 14.04% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Talen Energy (TLN) at 0.89 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while American Electric Power (AEP) at 0.51 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for AEP.
AEP
Utilities industry group
0.51
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- AEP
- 0.51
- Min
- 0.29
TLN
Utilities industry group
0.89
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- TLN
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
American Electric Power (AEP) at 1.62 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Talen Energy (TLN) at 5.97 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.
AEP
Utilities industry group
1.62
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- AEP
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
TLN
Utilities industry group
5.97
- TLN
- 5.97
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AEP | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.51 | 0.89 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.62 | 5.97 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.76 | 13.69 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile American Electric Power (AEP) reports a yield of 3.00%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AEP
Utilities industry group
3.00%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- AEP
- 3.00%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
TLN
Utilities industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- TLN
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile American Electric Power (AEP) reports a payout of 62.09%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AEP
Utilities industry group
62.09%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- AEP
- 62.09%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
TLN
Utilities industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- TLN
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AEP | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 3.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 62.09% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: American Electric Power (AEP) trades at 20.67 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Talen Energy (TLN) has no P/E ratio this period.
AEP
Utilities industry group
20.67
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- AEP
- 20.67
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
TLN
Utilities industry group
--
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
- TLN
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both American Electric Power (AEP) at 2.92 and Talen Energy (TLN) at 3.29 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
AEP
Utilities industry group
2.92
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- AEP
- 2.92
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
TLN
Utilities industry group
3.29
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- TLN
- 3.29
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
American Electric Power (AEP) at 2.10 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Talen Energy (TLN) at 10.14 prices above its benchmark range — TLN looks rich relative to book.
AEP
Utilities industry group
2.10
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- AEP
- 2.10
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
TLN
Utilities industry group
10.14
- TLN
- 10.14
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AEP | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 20.67 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.92 | 3.29 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.10 | 10.14 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -11.28% | 6.39% |