AEP vs. XEL: American Electric Power vs. Xcel Energy Stock Comparison
How do American Electric Power (AEP) and Xcel Energy (XEL) 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 Xcel Energy (XEL) are both classified in the Electric Utilities sub-industry within the broader Electric Utilities industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | AEP | XEL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | American Electric Power Company, Inc. | Xcel Energy Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry Group | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry | Electric Utilities | Electric Utilities |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Electric Utilities | Electric Utilities |
| Market Capitalization | 68.90 billion USD | 51.14 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | January 2, 1962 | February 21, 1973 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AEP | XEL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 8.60% | 2.65% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 22.18% | 14.93% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.81% | 8.26% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AEP | XEL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 18.45% | 19.49% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.46 | 0.33 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -29.56% | -34.41% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.64M | 5.83M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AEP | XEL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.23 | -0.08 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.33 | -0.12 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both American Electric Power (AEP) at 10.60% and Xcel Energy (XEL) at 11.44% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
AEP
Utilities industry group
10.60%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- AEP
- 10.60%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
XEL
Utilities industry group
11.44%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- XEL
- 11.44%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
Net Margin (TTM)
Xcel Energy (XEL) at 17.95% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of American Electric Power (AEP) at 14.21%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
AEP
Utilities industry group
14.21%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- AEP
- 14.21%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
XEL
Utilities industry group
17.95%
- Max
- 28.78%
- XEL
- 17.95%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both American Electric Power (AEP) at 26.89% and Xcel Energy (XEL) at 28.50% 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%
XEL
Utilities industry group
28.50%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- XEL
- 28.50%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AEP | XEL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 10.60% | 11.44% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.04% | 2.37% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 14.21% | 17.95% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 26.89% | 28.50% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 46.62% | 47.27% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both American Electric Power (AEP) at 10.93% and Xcel Energy (XEL) at 9.14% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both American Electric Power (AEP) at 19.35% and Xcel Energy (XEL) at -0.58% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AEP | XEL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 10.93% | 9.14% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 3.66% | -1.42% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 19.35% | -0.58% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 14.04% | 2.56% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Xcel Energy (XEL) at 0.69 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
XEL
Utilities industry group
0.69
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- Median
- 0.88
- XEL
- 0.69
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both American Electric Power (AEP) at 1.62 and Xcel Energy (XEL) at 1.68 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
AEP
Utilities industry group
1.62
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- AEP
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
XEL
Utilities industry group
1.68
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- XEL
- 1.68
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AEP | XEL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.51 | 0.69 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.62 | 1.68 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.76 | 6.35 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both American Electric Power (AEP) at 3.00% and Xcel Energy (XEL) at 2.92% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
AEP
Utilities industry group
3.00%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- AEP
- 3.00%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
XEL
Utilities industry group
2.92%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- XEL
- 2.92%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both American Electric Power (AEP) at 62.09% and Xcel Energy (XEL) at 54.72% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
AEP
Utilities industry group
62.09%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- AEP
- 62.09%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
XEL
Utilities industry group
54.72%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- Median
- 56.38%
- XEL
- 54.72%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AEP | XEL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 3.00% | 2.92% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 62.09% | 54.72% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both American Electric Power (AEP) at 20.67 and Xcel Energy (XEL) at 18.57 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
AEP
Utilities industry group
20.67
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- AEP
- 20.67
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
XEL
Utilities industry group
18.57
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- Median
- 19.64
- XEL
- 18.57
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both American Electric Power (AEP) at 2.92 and Xcel Energy (XEL) at 3.44 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
XEL
Utilities industry group
3.44
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- XEL
- 3.44
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both American Electric Power (AEP) at 2.10 and Xcel Energy (XEL) at 1.98 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
AEP
Utilities industry group
2.10
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- AEP
- 2.10
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
XEL
Utilities industry group
1.98
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- XEL
- 1.98
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AEP | XEL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 20.67 | 18.57 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.92 | 3.44 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.10 | 1.98 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -11.28% | -16.32% |