Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Ameren (NYSE:AEE)

Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE) saw unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 2,984 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 2,268% compared to the average volume of 126 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on AEE. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Ameren from $108.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $116.00 price target on shares of Ameren in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $108.00 price target on shares of Ameren in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Ameren from $112.00 to $111.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Ameren from $121.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $109.60.

Key Stories Impacting Ameren

Here are the key news stories impacting Ameren this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call-option activity suggests short-term bullish speculation or hedging interest—traders bought roughly 2,984 calls (a ~2,268% jump vs. normal volume), indicating elevated expectations for upside or an event-driven move. Investors Buy High Volume of Call Options on Ameren
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and outlets are setting up a bullish narrative ahead of Q4 results — Zacks highlights that Ameren has the characteristics to likely beat earnings estimates, which can support near-term upside if results match expectations. Ameren (AEE) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Opinion pieces outlining a “bull case” for Ameren (growth projects, regulated utility stability, and dividend support) may attract longer-term investors or momentum traders. Ameren Corporation (AEE): A bull case theory
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains a “Hold,” which suggests the analyst community sees limited near-term upside absent clearer catalysts; this tempers the bullish signals. Ameren Given Consensus Rating of “Hold”
• Negative Sentiment: An insider (Michael L. Moehn) sold 6,500 shares at ~$103.60 on Feb 2 (disclosed filing). While insiders sell for many reasons, any material insider selling can be viewed negatively by some investors. SEC Filing – Insider Sale
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch notes Ameren has underperformed peers recently despite daily gains, highlighting relative weakness that could keep some investors cautious. Ameren Corp. stock underperforms despite daily gains

Ameren Stock Up 0.6%

AEE opened at $104.64 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $101.17 and a 200-day moving average of $101.83. The company has a market capitalization of $28.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.57. Ameren has a fifty-two week low of $91.77 and a fifty-two week high of $106.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.93.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The utilities provider reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.07. Ameren had a net margin of 15.75% and a return on equity of 10.92%. The business had revenue of $2.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.64 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.87 earnings per share. Ameren’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Ameren will post 4.93 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Michael L. Moehn sold 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.60, for a total value of $673,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 193,076 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,002,673.60. This trade represents a 3.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ameren

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CreativeOne Wealth LLC grew its position in Ameren by 1.3% during the third quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 7,448 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $777,000 after buying an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC lifted its position in shares of Ameren by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 7,105 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $682,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Segment Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ameren by 3.6% in the third quarter. Segment Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,941 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $307,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC raised its stake in 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. 79.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.