Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Increases Position in Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE)

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) by 6.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 146,775 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,573 shares during the period. Asset Management One Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Ameren were worth $12,837,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in Ameren by 25.0% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 22,931,588 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,696,022,000 after buying an additional 4,593,638 shares in the last quarter. Zimmer Partners LP increased its holdings in shares of Ameren by 204.3% during the first quarter. Zimmer Partners LP now owns 3,827,897 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $283,111,000 after acquiring an additional 2,569,897 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Ameren by 106.1% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,498,158 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $177,644,000 after purchasing an additional 1,286,162 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Ameren by 8,645.7% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,160,998 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,015,410,000 after purchasing an additional 1,147,723 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Ameren by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 33,092,435 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,447,516,000 after purchasing an additional 802,714 shares during the last quarter. 79.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ameren Price Performance

NYSE AEE opened at $87.78 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.86, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $86.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $78.85. Ameren Co. has a 52 week low of $67.03 and a 52 week high of $89.54.

Ameren Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.05%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 11th. Ameren’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.63%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Chonda J. Nwamu sold 1,610 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.94, for a total value of $131,923.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,432 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,640,758.08. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Ameren to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Ameren in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $97.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Ameren from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Ameren from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. Finally, Mizuho upgraded Ameren from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $82.00 to $89.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ameren presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $87.80.

Ameren Company 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.