Ameren (NYSE:AEE) Sets New 1-Year High on Strong Earnings

Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $108.90 and last traded at $108.5960, with a volume of 348085 shares. The stock had previously closed at $106.02.

The utilities provider reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.77 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.69 billion. Ameren had a return on equity of 10.92% and a net margin of 15.75%.Ameren’s revenue was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.77 EPS.

Ameren Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be given a $0.75 dividend. This is a boost from Ameren’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Ameren’s payout ratio is presently 57.69%.

More Ameren News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ameren this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and stronger-than-expected revenue: Ameren reported $0.78 EPS vs. $0.77 consensus and revenue of $1.78B (above estimates), giving the quarter a mild upside vs. expectations. This supports the near-term earnings narrative. Ameren beats quarterly profit estimates on higher electricity rates
• Positive Sentiment: Company affirmed 2026 guidance and issued long‑term growth targets after reporting strong 2025 GAAP EPS ($5.35 vs. $4.42 in 2024), giving investors clearer forward visibility. Ameren Announces 2025 Results, Affirms Guidance for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Missouri grid investments and Smart Energy Plan filing: Ameren Missouri filed an updated Smart Energy Plan highlighting infrastructure upgrades that limited storm impacts and sped restoration during the historic 2025 storm season — a constructive development for reliability, customer relations and future rate support. Ameren Missouri is building a stronger grid and delivering reliability for customers
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory/asset boost: Missouri approved the Big Hollow Energy Center — an 800 MW natural gas plant paired with 400 MW battery storage — improving regional capacity and reliability that should support utility operations and potential ratebase growth. Missouri approves first-of-its kind resource to boost energy reliability
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst writeups and metric dives (Zacks, TipRanks) highlight that while EPS beat was positive, some line‑item trends and metric comparisons are mixed; these pieces provide context but no clear rerating signal yet. Here’s What Key Metrics Tell Us About Ameren (AEE) Q4 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined year‑over‑year (down ~8.2%) and rising O&M/interest costs are a stated headwind — risks that could cap margin expansion and make future guidance sensitive to rate decisions and higher rates. Ameren Press Release / Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Sector caution: some analysts (e.g., Jefferies coverage) warn investors to be selective in utilities as higher interest rates and capital intensity can compress returns — a macro risk for AEE’s valuation. Jefferies Loves 5 Dividend-Paying Utility Stocks but Warns of Caution

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on AEE. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Ameren from $121.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Argus raised shares of Ameren to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of Ameren in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Ameren from $112.00 to $111.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $116.00 target price on shares of Ameren in a report on Friday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ameren has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $109.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ameren news, insider Michael L. Moehn sold 6,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.60, for a total value of $673,400.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 193,076 shares in the company, valued at $20,002,673.60. The trade was a 3.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ameren

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ameren by 70.9% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 258 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Ameren by 285.5% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 266 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Ameren in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ameren by 6,040.0% in the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 307 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Addison Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ameren by 728.9% in the 2nd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 315 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. 79.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ameren Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $101.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $102.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.41 billion, a PE ratio of 20.88, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.57.

About Ameren

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.