Ameren (NYSE:AEE) Hits New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Shares of Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $92.79 and last traded at $92.75, with a volume of 56988 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $92.24.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AEE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Mizuho raised shares of Ameren from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $82.00 to $89.00 in a report on Monday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Ameren from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Ameren from $77.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Ameren in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $97.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Ameren to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ameren currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $87.90.

Ameren Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $25.04 billion, a PE ratio of 22.07, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.45. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $88.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $80.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37.

Ameren Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 11th. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. Ameren’s payout ratio is 63.06%.

Insider Activity at Ameren

In related news, EVP Chonda J. Nwamu sold 1,610 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.94, for a total transaction of $131,923.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,432 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,640,758.08. This represents a 3.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $598,975.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 205,171 shares in the company, valued at $18,906,507.65. The trade was a 3.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ameren

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Ameren by 115.3% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 366 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Ameren in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Ameren during the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ameren by 108.1% during the first quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 435 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ameren by 227.3% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 455 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. 79.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Ameren

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.