Decade Renewable Partners LP Takes Position in Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE)

Decade Renewable Partners LP bought a new position in Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 51,900 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,691,000. Ameren accounts for approximately 1.8% of Decade Renewable Partners LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Ameren by 115.3% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 366 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 196 shares during the period. First Command Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Ameren during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. grew its position in Ameren by 117.6% during the 1st quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 370 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Ameren in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Pathway Financial Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Ameren in the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 79.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ameren news, EVP Chonda J. Nwamu sold 1,610 shares of Ameren stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.94, for a total transaction of $131,923.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 44,432 shares in the company, valued at $3,640,758.08. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Ameren Price Performance

Shares of AEE stock opened at $86.34 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $81.45 and its 200 day moving average is $75.65. 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 stock has a market cap of $23.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.85, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.45. Ameren Co. has a twelve month low of $67.03 and a twelve month high of $86.50.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. Ameren had a net margin of 16.28% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The company had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.87 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.90 EPS. Ameren’s quarterly revenue was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Ameren Co. will post 4.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ameren Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 11th will be given a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 11th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.10%. Ameren’s dividend payout ratio is currently 61.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on AEE. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Ameren from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Ameren from $81.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group started coverage on Ameren in a research note on Friday, July 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $87.00 target price on the stock. 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 research report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Ameren from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $85.33.

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.