Bessemer Group Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Ameren Corporation $AEE

Key Points

• Bessemer Group Inc. slightly increased its Ameren stake in the first quarter, adding 18,526 shares to bring its total holdings to 2,758,605 shares worth about $303.2 million.
• Ameren reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.28 per share, topping estimates by $0.11, while revenue rose 3.8% year over year; the company also reaffirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.25 to 5.45.
• The utility declared a quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share, implying an annualized yield of 2.7%, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $120.67.

Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE - Free Report) by 0.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,758,605 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 18,526 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 1.00% of Ameren worth $303,227,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Droms Strauss Advisors Inc. MO ADV boosted its stake in shares of Ameren by 2.2% in the first quarter. Droms Strauss Advisors Inc. MO ADV now owns 4,162 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $457,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. increased its stake in Ameren by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. now owns 2,269 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $249,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Ameren by 19.4% during the 1st quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 602 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co lifted its holdings in Ameren by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Kentucky Trust Co now owns 14,759 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,474,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Segment Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Ameren by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Segment Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,045 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $304,000 after buying an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. 79.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ameren Stock Up 1.3%

Ameren stock opened at $112.85 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $31.23 billion, a PE ratio of 20.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The stock's fifty day moving average is $110.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $108.80. Ameren Corporation has a 1-year low of $96.27 and a 1-year high of $118.32.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.11. Ameren had a return on equity of 10.94% and a net margin of 17.17%.The business had revenue of $2.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.07 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ameren has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.250-5.450 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Ameren Corporation will post 5.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ameren Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 9th were given a dividend of $0.75 per share. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 9th. Ameren's payout ratio is currently 53.96%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Theresa A. Shaw sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.35, for a total value of $164,025.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 32,943 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,602,317.05. This trade represents a 4.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Argus boosted their price target on shares of Ameren from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Barclays increased their price objective on Ameren from $116.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $115.00 target price on Ameren in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Ameren in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, BTIG Research began coverage on Ameren in a report on Thursday, April 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $131.00 price target on the stock. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ameren has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $120.67.

Ameren Company Profile

Ameren Corporation NYSE: AEE is an integrated energy company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that provides electric and natural gas delivery and related services in portions of Missouri and Illinois. The company operates regulated utility businesses that serve a broad mix of residential, commercial and industrial customers, and it participates in wholesale energy markets and transmission operations that support reliable service across its service territories.

Ameren's core activities include generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, distribution of natural gas, and the provision of customer energy solutions such as demand-side management and energy efficiency programs.

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