Lazard Asset Management LLC Buys 399,905 Shares of Ameren Corporation $AEE

Key Points

• Lazard Asset Management increased its Ameren stake by 42.9%, purchasing 399,905 shares to hold 1.33 million shares valued at approximately $146.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.09% of Ameren.
• Ameren reported first-quarter earnings of $1.28 per share, exceeding the $1.17 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 3.8% year over year to $2.18 billion. The company maintained 2026 EPS guidance of $5.25–$5.45.
• Ameren declared a quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share, equivalent to a $3.00 annual payout and a 2.6% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $121.50.

Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE - Free Report) by 42.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,331,922 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 399,905 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.48% of Ameren worth $146,405,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Droms Strauss Advisors Inc. MO ADV boosted its position in Ameren by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Droms Strauss Advisors Inc. MO ADV now owns 4,162 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $457,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. increased its position in shares of Ameren by 4.3% in the first quarter. Fortitude Advisory Group L.L.C. now owns 2,269 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $249,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Ameren by 1.6% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 5,746 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $632,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ameren by 19.4% during the first quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 602 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of Ameren by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Kentucky Trust Co now owns 14,759 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,474,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.09% of the company's stock.

Ameren Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AEE opened at $113.75 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $110.82 and a 200 day moving average of $109.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.47. Ameren Corporation has a 12-month low of $96.57 and a 12-month high of $118.32.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.11. Ameren had a net margin of 17.17% and a return on equity of 10.94%. The business had revenue of $2.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.24 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.07 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue 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, research analysts anticipate that Ameren Corporation will post 5.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Ameren Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 9th were issued a dividend of $0.75 per share. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 9th. Ameren's payout ratio is currently 53.96%.

Insider Transactions at Ameren

In other Ameren news, SVP Theresa A. Shaw sold 325 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.08, for a total value of $35,451.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 32,618 shares in the company, valued at $3,557,971.44. This represents a 0.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Ameren from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Ameren from $115.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Ameren in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Ameren from $121.00 to $119.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research set a $126.00 price objective on shares of Ameren in a report on Thursday. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $121.50.

More Ameren News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ameren this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp reiterated an Overweight rating on Ameren and kept a $122 price target, while also lifting several forward EPS estimates, including FY2026 to $5.39 and longer-term forecasts through FY2030. KeyCorp Weighs in on Ameren's Q2 Earnings NYSE: AEE
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital also remained bullish on Ameren, keeping a Buy view on the stock, which reinforces investor confidence in the utility's earnings outlook. BMO Capital Remains a Buy on Ameren (AEE)
• Neutral Sentiment: Several reports framed Ameren as fairly valued heading into its July 30 earnings release, suggesting the stock may be in a wait-and-see mode until results are out. Is Ameren (AEE) Fairly Valued Going Into Its July 30 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street Zen also reportedly upgraded Ameren, adding to the constructive analyst backdrop, though without a clearly provided target in the headline. Ameren NYSE: AEE Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Ameren 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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