Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) Position Increased by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. grew its holdings in shares of Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE - Free Report) by 9.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 51,634 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 4,352 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.'s holdings in Ameren were worth $5,184,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Synergy Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ameren during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Roxbury Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Ameren during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ameren during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ameren in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. boosted its position in Ameren by 78.7% during the 4th quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 470 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the period. 79.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ameren Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:AEE opened at $96.03 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $97.41 and a 200-day moving average of $95.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The firm has a market cap of $25.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.49. Ameren Co. has a twelve month low of $69.39 and a twelve month high of $104.10.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $2.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.92 billion. Ameren had a return on equity of 10.34% and a net margin of 15.51%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 15.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.98 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ameren Co. will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ameren Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be given a $0.71 dividend. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 10th. Ameren's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.97%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Ameren from $106.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, May 5th. KeyCorp raised shares of Ameren from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $103.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Ameren in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Ameren from $101.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $114.00 price target (up previously from $113.00) on shares of Ameren in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $102.00.

Ameren Profile

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AEE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.