** Shares of electric utility American Electric Power AEP..O down 1.5% in extended trading to $102.67 as it looks to raise equity
** Columbus, Ohio-headquartered firm commences $2 bln stock offering
** Co enters into forward sales agreements with bookrunners Citigroup and Barclays
** Upon settlement of such agreements, expected to occur on or before Dec 31, 2026, co plans to use net proceeds for general purposes, including capital contributions to its utility subsidiaries and/or debt repayment
** With ~534 mln shares outstanding immediately before this offering, per the SEC prospectus filing, co has ~$55.6 bln market cap
** AEP shares on Mon finished down 0.9% at $104.18
** YTD, stock up ~13% vs ~3% rise S&P 500 Utilities sector .SPLRCU and 2% decline in S&P 500 .SPX
** Co in Feb said it was considering $10 bln boost to its 5-yr capex plan due to data center demand ramp up in its Midwest and southern service areas
(Lance Tupper is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
((lance.tupper@tr.com 1-646-279-6380))
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