Dividend investing remains popular for steady income and long-term growth.

Utility stocks like American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP), FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) and Ameren Corporation (AEE) are a safe bet during times of market volatility.

The utility sector may be one to consider amid heightened market volatility and the potential resurgence of broader economic fears. This is especially true after Friday's jobs report showed the US labor force continued to cool while the unemployment rate rose to 4.3%, its highest peak since 2021.

Does American Electric Power (AEP) have what it takes to be a top stock pick for momentum investors? Let's find out.

COLUMBUS, Ohio , July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) was named first in the utility industry on Forbes magazine's America's Best Employers for Women 2024 list. This is the fifth year in a row AEP was named to the list.

American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP ) Q2 2024 Earnings Conference Call July 30, 2024 9:00 AM ET Company Participants Darcy Reese - VP, IR Ben Fowke - Interim President, Interim CEO & Director Peggy Simmons - EVP, Utilities Charles Zebula - EVP & CFO Conference Call Participants Shar Pourezza - Guggenheim Partners Jeremy Tonet - JPMorgan Steven Fleischman - Wolfe Research Carly Davenport - Goldman Sachs Andrew Wiesel - Scotiabank Durgesh Chopra - Evercore ISI Sophie Karp - KeyBanc Capital Markets William Appicelli - UBS Julian Smith - Jefferies Paul Patterson - Glenrock Operator Thank you for standing by. My name is JL and I'll be your conference operator today.

American Electric's (AEP) Q2 operating revenues of $4.73 billion beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.3%. The top line rises 5.6% from the year-ago quarter's level.

Although the revenue and EPS for AEP (AEP) give a sense of how its business performed in the quarter ended June 2024, it might be worth considering how some key metrics compare with Wall Street estimates and the year-ago numbers.

American Electric Power (AEP) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.25 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.23 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.13 per share a year ago.

Second-quarter 2024 GAAP earnings of $0.64 per share; operating earnings of $1.25 per share Company reaffirms 2024 operating earnings (non-GAAP) guidance of $5.53 to $5.73 per share and long-term growth rate of 6% to 7% Strong data processing load in the commercial customer class positions AEP for further growth, supported by industry-leading transmission system AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER Preliminary, unaudited results Second Quarter ended June 30 Year-to-date ended June 30 2024 2023 Variance 2024 2023 Variance Revenue ($ in billions): 4.6 4.4 0.2 9.6 9.1 0.5 Earnings ($ in millions): GAAP 340.3 521.2 (180.9) 1,343.4 918.2 425.2 Operating (non-GAAP) 662.0 582.2 79.8 1,332.4 1,153.8 178.6 EPS ($): GAAP 0.64 1.01 (0.37) 2.55 1.78 0.77 Operating (non-GAAP) 1.25 1.13 0.12 2.52 2.24 0.28 EPS based on 529 million shares 2Q 2024, 515 million shares 2Q 2023, 528 million shares YTD 2024 and 515 million shares YTD 2023 COLUMBUS, Ohio , July 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) today reported second-quarter 2024 earnings, prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), of $340 million or $0.64 per share, compared with GAAP earnings of $521 million or $1.01 per share in second-quarter 2023. Operating earnings for second-quarter 2024 were $662 million or $1.25 per share, compared with operating earnings of $582 million or $1.13 per share in second-quarter 2023.

Total second-quarter earnings of Utility stocks are expected to improve 9.1% year over year on a rise of 1.1% in revenues. Let's see how PEG, CNP, AEP & FE report their Q2 figures.

Evaluate the expected performance of AEP (AEP) for the quarter ended June 2024, looking beyond the conventional Wall Street top-and-bottom-line estimates and examining some of its key metrics for better insight.