Czech National Bank Grows Stock Holdings in Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE)

Czech National Bank increased its stake in Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE - Free Report) by 6.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 57,876 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 3,523 shares during the quarter. Czech National Bank's holdings in Ameren were worth $5,159,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ameren during the third quarter valued at about $44,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its holdings in Ameren by 134.5% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 544 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the period. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Ameren during the third quarter valued at about $49,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in Ameren during the third quarter valued at about $56,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in Ameren during the second quarter valued at about $58,000. 79.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ameren Trading Up 3.0 %

AEE stock traded up $2.75 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $93.87. The company had a trading volume of 1,142,522 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,147,612. The company has a market capitalization of $25.06 billion, a PE ratio of 22.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.48. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $90.68 and a 200 day moving average of $85.15. Ameren Co. has a 12 month low of $67.03 and a 12 month high of $95.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.41.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on AEE shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Ameren from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Ameren from $86.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Argus raised Ameren to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Ameren in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $97.00 price target for the company. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Ameren from $77.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ameren currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $89.89.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 6,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 205,171 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,906,507.65. This represents a 3.07 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.