Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Ameren (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 stock. This is an increase of approximately 2,268% compared to the average daily volume of 126 call options.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 6,500 shares of the firm’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 directly owns 205,171 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,906,507.65. This trade represents a 3.07 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Ameren

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ameren in the 3rd quarter worth $44,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ameren in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $49,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of Ameren during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Ameren during the 2nd quarter valued at $58,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Ameren during the 3rd quarter valued at $74,000. Institutional investors own 79.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on AEE. Argus raised Ameren to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Ameren in a report on Thursday, September 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $97.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America increased their price objective 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. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ameren from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Ameren from $86.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ameren has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $89.89.

Ameren Stock Down 0.2 %

AEE opened at $90.69 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $24.21 billion, a PE ratio of 21.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.47. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $90.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $83.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. Ameren has a 52 week low of $67.03 and a 52 week high of $95.69.

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 paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 11th. Ameren’s payout ratio is presently 63.06%.

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.