Ameren (NYSE:AEE) Downgraded to “Equal Weight” Rating by Barclays

Barclays downgraded shares of Ameren (NYSE:AEE) from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report released on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have $95.00 target price on the utilities provider’s stock, up from their previous target price of $88.00.

AEE has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Evercore ISI raised shares of Ameren from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $89.00 to $104.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Ameren from $86.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Ameren from $93.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $92.00.

Ameren Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AEE opened at $94.12 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $25.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.48. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $91.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $86.40. 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 has a 12-month low of $67.03 and a 12-month high of $96.74.

Insider Transactions at Ameren

In other Ameren news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 6,500 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 205,171 shares in the company, valued at $18,906,507.65. This trade represents a 3.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ameren

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Ameren during the third quarter valued at $44,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. increased its stake in Ameren by 134.5% in the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 544 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. lifted its position in Ameren by 86.2% in the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 540 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ameren during the 3rd quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of Ameren during the 3rd quarter valued at $56,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.09% of the company’s stock.

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.