Maple Brown Abbott Ltd Has $113.23 Million Holdings in Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE)

Maple Brown Abbott Ltd trimmed its holdings in shares of Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) by 22.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,270,240 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 361,690 shares during the period. Ameren comprises about 13.8% of Maple Brown Abbott Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Maple Brown Abbott Ltd’s holdings in Ameren were worth $113,229,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AEE. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ameren during the 3rd quarter worth $44,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its holdings in Ameren by 134.5% in the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 544 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ameren during the third quarter valued at about $49,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of Ameren in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $56,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in shares of Ameren during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $58,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.09% of the company’s stock.

Ameren Stock Performance

Shares of AEE stock opened at $94.20 on Monday. 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 Co. has a 52-week low of $67.03 and a 52-week high of $96.74. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $91.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $86.29. The stock has a market cap of $25.14 billion, a PE ratio of 22.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.48.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 6,500 shares of Ameren stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.15, for a total value of $598,975.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Ameren from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $89.00 to $104.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Barclays increased their price target on Ameren from $77.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Ameren from $86.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Ameren from $93.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $91.30.

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.