Which has the lower trailing P/E, AEP or XEL?

XEL has the lower trailing P/E: AEP trades at 21.34 and XEL at 20.57. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, AEP or XEL?

Over the past five years, AEP grew revenue faster — AEP at a 7.40% CAGR versus XEL at 2.79%.

Does AEP or XEL pay a bigger dividend?

AEP yields 3.08% and XEL yields 3.05% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AEP or XEL more profitable?

XEL runs the higher net margin — AEP at 13.95% versus XEL at 15.28%.

How have AEP and XEL total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, AEP delivered 10.64% and XEL delivered 9.77% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) vs Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL)

A side-by-side comparison of American Electric Power Company, Inc. and Xcel Energy Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 10, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

AEP

American Electric Power Company, Inc.

$67.14B

$123.33UtilitiesDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

XEL

Xcel Energy Inc.

$47.16B

$75.50UtilitiesDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — AEP vs XEL

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

AEP +172.9% (+10.6%/yr)XEL +144.3% (+9.3%/yr)AEP compounded faster over this window

AEP XEL

AEP vs XEL: by the numbers

•AEP is the larger company ($67.14B vs $47.16B market cap).
•XEL trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (20.57 vs 21.34 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•XEL converts more revenue to profit (15.28% vs 13.95% net margin).
•AEP grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.40% vs 2.79% CAGR).
•AEP pays the higher dividend yield (3.08% vs 3.05%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AEP	XEL
P/E ratio	21.34	20.57
Forward P/E	19.33	18.35
P/S ratio	2.98	3.23
P/B ratio	2.09	1.96
EV / EBITDA	12.02	13.98

Profitability

Metric	AEP	XEL
Gross margin	31.81%	48.84%
Operating margin	28.36%	20.98%
Net margin	13.95%	15.28%
ROE	9.77%	9.28%
ROIC	5.13%	3.74%

Dividends

Metric	AEP	XEL
Dividend yield	3.08%	3.05%
Payout ratio	65.74%	63.35%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AEP	XEL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.40%	2.79%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	8.45%	4.20%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	N/A	-15.80%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	10.71%	5.22%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, AEP or XEL?: XEL has the lower trailing P/E: AEP trades at 21.34 and XEL at 20.57. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, AEP or XEL?: Over the past five years, AEP grew revenue faster — AEP at a 7.40% CAGR versus XEL at 2.79%.
Does AEP or XEL pay a bigger dividend?: AEP yields 3.08% and XEL yields 3.05% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AEP or XEL more profitable?: XEL runs the higher net margin — AEP at 13.95% versus XEL at 15.28%.
How have AEP and XEL total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, AEP delivered 10.64% and XEL delivered 9.77% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AEP analysis Full XEL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Electric Power P/E ratio Xcel Energy P/E ratio American Electric Power dividend yield Xcel Energy dividend yield American Electric Power ROE Xcel Energy ROE American Electric Power operating margin Xcel Energy operating margin American Electric Power revenue growth Xcel Energy revenue growth American Electric Power free cash flow Xcel Energy free cash flow

American Electric Power & Xcel Energy appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified September 10, 2026.