American Electric Power: Contracted Load And Rate Base Growth

American Electric Power remains a buy, driven by 69 GW of contracted load and a $78B capital plan supporting robust rate-base growth. Management raised FY2026 operating EPS guidance to $6.25–$6.55, reaffirming 7%-9% annual growth and targeting >9% CAGR through 2030. Contracted demand, especially from data centers, is increasingly formalized with strong regulatory and collateral protections, minimizing counterparty risk.