Ameren Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:AEE)

Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders bought 2,984 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 2,268% compared to the average volume of 126 call options.

Ameren Price Performance

NYSE AEE opened at $94.98 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $88.81 and its 200-day moving average is $80.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The company has a market capitalization of $25.35 billion, a PE ratio of 22.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.45. Ameren has a 12-month low of $67.03 and a 12-month high of $95.69.

Ameren Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on AEE shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ameren from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Ameren from $88.00 to $86.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Ameren in a report on Thursday, September 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $97.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Ameren from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Ameren to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ameren has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $87.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ameren

In other Ameren news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 6,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.15, for a total value of $598,975.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 205,171 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,906,507.65. The trade was a 3.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ameren

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ameren by 22.9% during the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 7,297 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $540,000 after purchasing an additional 1,361 shares during the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC grew its holdings in Ameren by 108.1% during the first quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 435 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Ameren by 10.8% during the first quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 8,360 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $618,000 after buying an additional 817 shares during the last quarter. PEAK6 Investments LLC bought a new stake in Ameren in the first quarter valued at approximately $605,000. Finally, Bayesian Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ameren in the first quarter valued at approximately $333,000. 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.