Ameren (NYSE:AEE) Price Target Raised to $105.00

Ameren (NYSE:AEE) had its price target raised by BMO Capital Markets from $100.00 to $105.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Ameren from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $89.00 to $104.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Barclays cut shares of Ameren from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $88.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Ameren from $86.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $92.70.

Ameren Stock Performance

Shares of Ameren stock opened at $97.07 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $92.48 and a 200-day moving average of $88.80. Ameren has a 1-year low of $69.39 and a 1-year high of $100.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The company has a market cap of $25.91 billion, a PE ratio of 21.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.49.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.83 by ($0.06). Ameren had a net margin of 15.51% and a return on equity of 10.34%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.60 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ameren will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ameren Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th will be issued a $0.71 dividend. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.93%. This is a boost from Ameren’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 11th. Ameren’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.63%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ameren

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Synergy Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ameren in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Roxbury Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Ameren in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Ameren in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ameren in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. lifted its stake in shares of Ameren by 78.7% in the fourth quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 470 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. 79.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.