Ameren (AEE) Declares $0.63 Dividend
Ameren said on February 10, 2023 that its board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.63 per share ($2.52 annualized). Shareholders of record as of March 14, 2023 will receive the payment on March 31, 2023. Previously, the company paid $0.59 per share.
At the current share price of $85.84 / share, the stock's dividend yield is 2.94%. Looking back five years and taking a sample every week, the average dividend yield has been 2.70%, the lowest has been 2.33%, and the highest has been 3.36%. The standard deviation of yields is 0.22 (n=236).
The current dividend yield is 1.09 standard deviations above the historical average.
Additionally, the company's dividend payout ratio is 0.59. The payout ratio tells us how much of a company's income is paid out in dividends. A payout ratio of one (1.0) means 100% of the company's income is paid in a dividend. A payout ratio greater than one means the company is dipping into savings in order to maintain its dividend - not a healthy situation. Companies with few growth prospects are expected to pay out most of their income in dividends, which typically means a payout ratio between 0.5 and 1.0. Companies with good growth prospects are expected to retain some earnings in order to invest in those growth prospects, which translates to a payout ratio of zero to 0.5.
The company's 3-Year dividend growth rate is 0.19%, demonstrating that it has increased its dividend over time.
Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 11.48% Upside
As of February 14, 2023, the average one-year price target for Ameren is $95.69. The forecasts range from a low of $89.89 to a high of $106.05. The average price target represents an increase of 11.48% from its latest reported closing price of $85.84.
The projected annual revenue for Ameren is $7,275MM, an increase of 1.54%. The projected annual EPS is $4.40, an increase of 9.63%.
What is the Fund Sentiment?
There are 1383 funds or institutions reporting positions in Ameren. This is an increase of 23 owner(s) or 1.69% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to AEE is 0.29%, a decrease of 4.86%. Total shares owned by institutions increased in the last three months by 2.20% to 247,210K shares. The put/call ratio of AEE is 0.49, indicating a bullish outlook.
What are large shareholders doing?
Price T Rowe Associates holds 17,083K shares representing 6.61% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 21,077K shares, representing a decrease of 23.38%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in AEE by 58.22% over the last quarter.
T. Rowe Price Investment Management holds 9,624K shares representing 3.72% ownership of the company.
VTSMX - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares holds 7,702K shares representing 2.98% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 7,592K shares, representing an increase of 1.43%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in AEE by 5.73% over the last quarter.
Ameriprise Financial holds 6,413K shares representing 2.48% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 6,432K shares, representing a decrease of 0.30%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in AEE by 82.72% over the last quarter.
Deutsche Bank Ag\ holds 6,360K shares representing 2.46% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 6,657K shares, representing a decrease of 4.67%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in AEE by 99.99% over the last quarter.
Ameren Background Information
(This description is provided by the company.)
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric distribution and transmission service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission and distribution service, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated regional electric transmission projects.
This story originally appeared on Fintel.