Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) Short Interest Down 16.5% in August

Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) saw a large decline in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,730,000 shares, a decline of 16.5% from the July 31st total of 3,270,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,430,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days.

Ameren Stock Performance

Ameren stock traded up $0.23 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $82.51. 1,168,000 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,178,590. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $77.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $74.10. Ameren has a twelve month low of $67.03 and a twelve month high of $84.40. The firm has a market cap of $22.00 billion, a PE ratio of 18.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.67.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.87 billion. Ameren had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 16.28%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.90 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Ameren will post 4.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ameren Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 11th will be given a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 11th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.25%. Ameren’s payout ratio is currently 61.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on AEE shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Ameren from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Ameren from $74.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Bank of America raised their price objective on Ameren from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. UBS Group initiated coverage on Ameren in a report on Friday, July 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $87.00 target price for the company. Finally, Barclays upgraded Ameren from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $73.00 to $77.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $81.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ameren

In other news, EVP Chonda J. Nwamu sold 1,610 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.94, for a total transaction of $131,923.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 44,432 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,640,758.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Chonda J. Nwamu sold 1,610 shares of Ameren stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.94, for a total value of $131,923.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 44,432 shares in the company, valued at $3,640,758.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Rafael Flores sold 1,500 shares of Ameren stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.29, for a total transaction of $106,935.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 13,768 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $981,520.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ameren

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kentucky Retirement Systems boosted its stake in shares of Ameren by 0.6% in the second quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 20,095 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,429,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Ameren by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 9,803 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $697,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ameren by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 2,992 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $221,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Avitas Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ameren by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Avitas Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,487 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $850,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ameren by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 7,414 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $536,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.09% of the company’s stock.

About Ameren

Ameren Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, and Ameren Transmission. It engages in the rate-regulated electric generation, transmission, and distribution activities; and rate-regulated natural gas distribution business.