American Electric Power Company Inc vs Realty Income Corp — how do they compare? American Electric Power Company Inc trades at $123.5 (market cap $66.87B), while Realty Income Corp trades at $61.96 (market cap $58.56B). The key difference: American Electric Power Company Inc and Realty Income Corp are close in size by market cap, and Realty Income Corp pays the higher dividend (5.25%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AEP | O | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $66.87B | $58.56B |
Sector | Utilities | Real Estate |
52-Week High | $138.69 | $67.56 |
52-Week Low | $106.44 | $55.93 |
Enterprise Value | $119.77B | $89.19B |
Dividend Yield | 3.09% | 5.25% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
American Electric Power (AEP) trades at $125.73, up 0.38% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong analyst support. Recent Q2 2026 earnings missed estimates at $1.36 per share versus $1.48 expected, though the company raised full-year 2026 operating EPS guidance to $6.25–$6.55, reflecting confidence in AI-driven power demand growth. Fundamentals show robust revenue growth to $21.88B in 2025 and a net income margin of 13.78%, supported by a $78 billion capital plan.
The outlook remains positive due to contracted load growth and infrastructure investments, but risks include execution of large capital expenditures and interest rate sensitivity. With a consensus price target of $140.89 and no sell ratings, Wall Street sentiment is bullish, though technical indicators suggest near-term caution amid bearish moving averages.
Realty Income (O) trades at $62.51, up 0.24% today, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but bullish oscillators like RSI. The REIT reported Q2 2026 AFFO of $1.09 per share, matching estimates, and raised full-year guidance, supported by a 98.8% occupancy rate. Recent news highlights its high dividend yield and 115th consecutive quarterly increase, alongside a $6 billion data center joint venture announced in August 2026.
Outlook: Strong dividend growth and strategic expansion into data centers offer upside, but high P/E of 45.63 and recent EPS misses pose valuation risks. Analysts target $67.13 consensus, implying modest growth, with debt-to-asset ratio rising to 39.93% in 2025 signaling financial leverage concerns.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
American Electric Power is one of the largest regulated utilities in the United States, providing electricity generation, transmission, and distribution to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. About 43% of AEP's of capacity is coal, with the remainder from a mix of natural gas (27%), renewable energy and hydro (19%), nuclear (7%), and demand response (4%). Vertically integrated utilities, transmission and distribution, and generation and marketing support earnings.
Read more on AEP →Realty Income owns roughly 11,400 properties, most of which are freestanding, single-tenant, triple-net-leased retail properties. Its properties are located in 49 states and Puerto Rico and are leased to 250 tenants from 47 industries. Recent acquisitions have added industrial, office, manufacturing, and distribution properties, which make up roughly 17% of revenue.
Read more on O →