Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) Shares Sold by Raymond James Trust N.A.

Raymond James Trust N.A. decreased its position in shares of Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) by 6.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 3,234 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 220 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A.’s holdings in Ameren were worth $283,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Ameren by 115.3% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 366 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the period. First Command Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Ameren during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Ameren during the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Ameren by 227.3% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 455 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the period. Finally, American National Bank acquired a new position in shares of Ameren in the second quarter worth $37,000. 79.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ameren Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE AEE opened at $94.98 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $25.35 billion, a PE ratio of 22.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.45. Ameren Co. has a 52-week low of $67.03 and a 52-week high of $95.69. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $88.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $80.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37.

Ameren Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 11th will be issued a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 11th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.82%. Ameren’s payout ratio is 63.06%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Ameren from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Ameren from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Ameren from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Ameren in a report on Thursday, September 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $97.00 price target for the company. Finally, Mizuho upgraded shares of Ameren from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $82.00 to $89.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ameren currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $87.90.

Insider Activity at Ameren

In other news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 6,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.15, for a total value of $598,975.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 205,171 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,906,507.65. This represents a 3.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Ameren 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.