Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 28th, 2026

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE – Free Report) by 2.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,151,324 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 32,982 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 0.42% of Ameren worth $126,552,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AEE. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Ameren by 1.6% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 5,746 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $632,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of Ameren by 18.4% during the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 34,495 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,792,000 after purchasing an additional 5,356 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank lifted its stake in Ameren by 7.1% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 793,800 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $87,254,000 after buying an additional 52,700 shares in the last quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Ameren by 32.4% in the 1st quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,752 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $197,000 after buying an additional 429 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heartland Bank & Trust Co boosted its holdings in Ameren by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Heartland Bank & Trust Co now owns 6,233 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $685,000 after buying an additional 205 shares during the last quarter. 79.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ameren Stock Down 1.4% Shares of AEE opened at $112.15 on Tuesday. Ameren Corporation has a 52-week low of $96.57 and a 52-week high of $118.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $110.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.37. The company has a market capitalization of $31.04 billion, a PE ratio of 20.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.47.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.11. Ameren had a net margin of 17.17% and a return on equity of 10.94%. The firm had revenue of $2.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.24 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.07 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Ameren has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.250-5.450 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Ameren Corporation will post 5.39 EPS for the current year.

Ameren Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 9th were issued a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 9th. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Ameren’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have commented on AEE. KeyCorp raised Ameren from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $122.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday. BTIG Research set a $126.00 price objective on Ameren in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Ameren from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Ameren from $116.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Ameren in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $121.50.

Read Our Latest Research Report on AEE

Insider Activity at Ameren In other news, SVP Theresa A. Shaw sold 325 shares of Ameren stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.08, for a total transaction of $35,451.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 32,618 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,557,971.44. The trade was a 0.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Ameren Company Profile (Free Report)

Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE) is an integrated energy company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that provides electric and natural gas delivery and related services in portions of Missouri and Illinois. The company operates regulated utility businesses that serve a broad mix of residential, commercial and industrial customers, and it participates in wholesale energy markets and transmission operations that support reliable service across its service territories.

Ameren’s core activities include generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, distribution of natural gas, and the provision of customer energy solutions such as demand-side management and energy efficiency programs.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Ameren AirJoule’s Kubota Deal Is a Major Validation—But the Hard Part Comes Next Dividend Stocks May Be the Quiet Rotation Trade Investors Are Missing Now Refiner Stocks Are Near Record Highs—Can Iran-Driven Margins Keep Them There? Verizon May Be an AI Infrastructure Stock Hiding in Plain Sight

Receive News & Ratings for Ameren Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ameren and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

« PREVIOUS HEADLINECarlisle Companies Incorporated $CSL Shares Sold by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

NEXT HEADLINE »Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Grows Stock Holdings in Waste Connections, Inc. $WCN

Key Takeaways:

Ameren Missouri plans to build the West Alton Energy Center, a new 2,100-megawatt facility designed to provide dependable energy at all times of day for customers across Missouri. The project will support reliable service during periods of high demand, extreme weather and changing grid conditions. By expanding in-state energy production, the West Alton Energy Center will help power Missouri's growing economy while ensuring communities have the electricity they need for the future. , /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), announced plans to build the West Alton Energy Center, a new combined-cycle natural gas facility. It is designed to provide reliable, around-the-clock baseload power for customers while keeping costs as low as possible, supporting economic development in the region and strengthening the company's balanced mix of energy.

In an application filed with the Missouri Public Service Commission (MoPSC), Ameren Missouri laid out details of the proposed energy center, which will ensure grid reliability as the economy grows and other energy generation facilities reach the end of their useful lives. The plans for West Alton include generating approximately 2,100 megawatts (MW) of electricity, with an anticipated completion date of 2031, pending regulatory approval. It is expected to provide more than 1,000 construction jobs over several years. Additional details about the project are available at Ameren.com/WestAlton.

"Customers count on reliable energy to keep their homes comfortable, care for their families, run their businesses and stay connected to the things that matter most," said Aaron Melda, chairman and president of Ameren Missouri. "The West Alton Energy Center is one way we're preparing for Missouri's future and supporting the growing needs of our communities. Missouri has seen incredible economic development wins over the past year, and we're pleased to support this growth."

State law and the company's Powering Missouri Growth Plan include provisions to make sure data centers cover the costs of the infrastructure needed to serve them, protecting existing customers while providing reliable service for all.

Adding 2,100 MW of always-on generation will further improve reliability and contribute to Ameren Missouri's balanced generation mix, which is designed to optimize costs over the long term. The West Alton Energy Center will also strengthen Missouri's energy security by supplying dependable, in-state generation to serve homes, businesses and growing communities across the state.

"Projects such as the West Alton Energy Center are designed to perform under a wide range of conditions and periods of high demand," said Ajay Arora, executive vice president and chief growth and generation development officer at Ameren Missouri. "As our generation fleet evolves, this facility will add a highly efficient, Missouri-based resource that can operate 24/7 and work alongside our other resources to help maintain reliability for our customers."

The West Alton Energy Center will be built next to Ameren Missouri's Sioux Energy Center, where the company can utilize equipment and connections already on site. Doing more in one location means maximizing existing resources and more value for customers.

"Families and businesses are balancing competing priorities every day, which is why we're focused on making smart investments, controlling project costs and getting the most value from every dollar," Melda said.

Ameren Missouri's plan is designed to keep costs as low as possible for customers and recommends a financing approach that a 2024 analysis by the State of Missouri found lowers project costs by millions of dollars.

"When companies decide where to expand and create jobs, they need to know the infrastructure is in place to back their growth," Melda said. "Investments such as the West Alton Energy Center help ensure Missouri is ready for those opportunities while continuing to serve the people and businesses that already call our state home. We're committed to making those investments thoughtfully and with careful attention to costs, and the MoPSC will provide oversight throughout the process."

The project is included in Ameren Missouri's long-term energy planning process and is designed to complement the company's investments in other generation resources, and grid modernization that supports long-term customer value.

About Ameren Missouri
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.5 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 67,700-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated regional electric transmission projects in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren. 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this release not based on historical facts are considered "forward-looking" and, accordingly, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. Although such forward-looking statements have been made in good faith and are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that the expected results will be achieved. These statements include (without limitation) statements as to future expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, strategies, targets, estimates, objectives, events, conditions, and financial performance. In connection with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we are providing this cautionary statement to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. The following factors, in addition to those discussed under Risk Factors in Ameren Missouri's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and elsewhere in this release and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations suggested in such forward-looking statements:

regulatory, judicial, or legislative actions, and any changes in regulatory policies and ratemaking determinations that may change regulatory recovery mechanisms or our ability to recover costs and earn a return, such as those that may result from Ameren Missouri's electric service regulatory rate review filed with the Missouri Public Service Commission ("MoPSC") in June 2026; our ability to control costs and make substantial investments in our businesses, including our ability to recover costs and investments, and to earn our allowed returns on equity, within frameworks established by our regulators, while maintaining affordability for our customers; the effect on Ameren Missouri of any customer rate caps or limitations on increasing the electric service revenue requirement pursuant to Ameren Missouri's election to use the plant-in-service accounting regulatory mechanism; Ameren Missouri's ability to construct and/or acquire wind, solar, and other renewable energy generation facilities and battery storage, as well as natural gas-fired and nuclear energy centers, extend the operating license for the Callaway Energy Center, reliably operate existing energy centers through their expected retirement dates, retire fossil fuel-fired energy centers, and implement new or existing customer energy-efficiency programs, including any such construction, acquisition, retirement, or implementation in connection with its Smart Energy Plan, preferred resource plan, or emissions reduction goals, and to recover its cost of investment, a related return, and, in the case of customer energy-efficiency programs, any lost electric revenues in a timely manner, each of which is affected by the ability to timely obtain all necessary regulatory and project approvals, including certificates of convenience and necessity ("CCNs") from the MoPSC or any other required approvals, including permits to operate the facilities; our ability to realize and support forecasted energy demand and capacity from new and potential new customers, including demand growth dependent on the addition of new data centers and other large primary service customers within our service territories, such as the large load customers that signed electric service agreements with Ameren Missouri in 2026; the effects on energy prices and demand for our services resulting from customer growth patterns or usage, including demand from data centers, technological advances, including advances in customer energy efficiency, electric vehicles, electrification of various industries, energy storage, and private generation sources, which are becoming increasingly cost-competitive; Ameren Missouri's ability to earn, utilize, or transfer at a reasonable price federal production and investment tax credits related to renewable energy and energy storage projects and nuclear energy production; the cost of wind, solar, and other renewable generation and battery storage technologies; and our ability to obtain timely interconnection agreements with the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. ("MISO") or other regional transmission organizations at an acceptable cost for each facility; the effect of changes in federal domestic energy policy to support investment in fossil fuel infrastructure and the effect of those changes on Ameren Missouri's ability to construct and/or acquire renewable energy generation facilities and battery storage; the outcome of the MISO long-range transmission planning process, including potential changes to planned projects, the ability to obtain competitively bid or assigned projects and related approvals, including CCNs from the MoPSC or any other required approvals, and changes in applicable legislative or regulatory frameworks; the inability of our counterparties to meet their obligations with respect to contracts, credit agreements, and financial instruments, including as they relate to the construction and acquisition of electric and natural gas utility infrastructure and the ability of counterparties to complete projects, which is dependent upon the availability of labor and necessary materials and equipment, including those obligations that are affected by supply chain disruptions; advancements in energy technologies, including carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration, hydrogen fuel for electric production and energy storage, next generation nuclear, and large-scale long-cycle battery storage, and the impact of federal and state energy and economic policies with respect to those technologies; the effects of changes in federal, state, or local laws and other domestic or international governmental actions, including monetary, fiscal, foreign trade, and energy policies, foreign trade tariffs, executive orders, geopolitical developments, or extended federal government shutdowns or defunding; the effects of changes in federal, state, or local tax laws or rates; additional regulations, interpretations, amendments, or technical corrections to, or in connection with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ("OBBBA") and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, including the effects of the OBBBA as it relates to construction timelines of solar, wind, and battery storage projects, along with the ability to obtain materials for these projects to be eligible for federal production and investment tax credits; and any challenges to the tax positions taken by us, as well as resulting effects on customer rates; the cost and availability of fuel, such as low-sulfur coal, natural gas, and enriched uranium used to produce electricity; the cost and availability of natural gas for distribution and the cost and availability of purchased power, including capacity, zero emission credits, renewable energy credits, and emission allowances; and the level and volatility of future market prices for such commodities and credits; disruptions in the delivery of fuel, failure of our fuel suppliers to provide adequate quantities or quality of fuel, or lack of adequate inventories of fuel, including nuclear fuel assemblies primarily from the one Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed supplier of assemblies for Ameren Missouri's Callaway Energy Center; the cost and availability of transmission capacity required for the energy generated by Ameren Missouri's energy centers or as required to satisfy our energy sales; the effectiveness of our risk management strategies and our use of financial and derivative instruments; the ability to obtain sufficient insurance at a reasonable cost, or, in the absence of insurance, the ability to timely recover uninsured losses from our customers; the impact of cyberattacks and data security risks on us, our suppliers, or other entities on the grid, including those arising from generative or agentic artificial intelligence, which could, among other things, result in the loss of operational control of energy centers and electric and natural gas transmission and distribution systems and/or the loss of data, such as customer, employee, financial, and operating system information; acts of sabotage, which have increased in frequency and severity within the utility industry, war, terrorism, or other intentionally disruptive acts; business, economic, geopolitical, and capital market conditions, including foreign trade tariffs or trade wars, evolving federal regulatory priorities, and the impact of such conditions on interest rates, inflation, commodity prices, and investments; the impact of inflation or a recession on our customers and suppliers and the related impact on our results of operations, financial position, and liquidity; disruptions of the capital and credit markets, deterioration in our credit metrics, or other events that may have an adverse effect on the cost or availability of capital, including short-term credit and liquidity, and our ability to access the capital and credit markets on reasonable terms when needed; the actions of credit rating agencies and the effects of such actions; the impact of weather conditions and other natural conditions on us and our customers, including the impact of system outages and the level of wind and solar resources; the construction, installation, performance, and cost recovery of generation, transmission, and distribution assets; the ability to maintain system reliability by Ameren Missouri, the MISO, and the electric utility industry, as well as Ameren Missouri's ability to meet existing or future generation capacity and power obligations; the effects of failures of electric generation, electric and natural gas transmission or distribution, or natural gas storage facilities systems and equipment, which could result in unanticipated liabilities or unplanned outages; the operation of Ameren Missouri's Callaway Energy Center, including planned and unplanned outages, as well as the ability to recover costs associated with such outages and the impact of such outages on off-system sales and purchased power, among other things; Ameren Missouri's ability to recover the remaining investment and decommissioning costs associated with the retirement of an energy center, as well as the ability to earn a return on that remaining investment and those decommissioning costs; the impact of current environmental laws or their interpretation and new, more stringent, or changing requirements and environmental policies, including those related to New Source Review provisions of the Clean Air Act, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and other emissions and discharges, cooling water intake structures, coal combustion residuals, energy efficiency, and wildlife protection, that could limit, terminate or otherwise modify the operation of certain of Ameren Missouri's energy centers, increase our operating costs or investment requirements, result in an impairment of our assets, cause us to sell our assets, reduce our customers' demand for electricity or natural gas, or otherwise have a negative financial effect; the impact of complying with renewable energy standards in Missouri; the effectiveness of Ameren Missouri's customer energy-efficiency programs and the related revenues and performance incentives earned under its Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act programs; labor disputes, the impact of collective bargaining unit contract negotiations, workforce reductions, our ability to attract and retain professional and skilled-craft employees, changes in future wage and employee benefits costs, including those resulting from changes in discount rates, mortality tables, medical cost trend rates, returns on benefit plan assets, and other assumptions; the impact of negative opinions of us or our utility services that our customers, investors, legislators, regulators, creditors, rating agencies, or other stakeholders may have or develop, which could result from a variety of factors, including failures in system reliability, failure to implement our investment plans or disagreement with those plans, failure to protect sensitive customer information, increases in rates, new data centers entering our service territories, negative media coverage, or concerns about company policies or practices; the impact of adopting new accounting and reporting guidance; the effects of strategic initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, and reorganizations; legal and administrative proceedings; pandemics or other significant global health events, and their impacts on our results of operations, financial position, and liquidity; and the impacts of global conflicts and related sanctions imposed by the United States and other governments, including potential impacts on the cost and availability of fuel, natural gas, enriched uranium, and other commodities, materials, and services. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of such factors, nor can it assess the impact of each such factor on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained or implied in any forward-looking statement. Given these uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events.

SOURCE Ameren Missouri

Ameren (AEE - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.

The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 30, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis utility is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.08 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +6.9%.

Revenues are expected to be $2.4 billion, up 8% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 3.72% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Ameren?For Ameren, the Most Accurate Estimate is the same as the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that there are no recent analyst views which differ from what have been considered to derive the consensus estimate. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of 0%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Ameren will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Ameren would post earnings of $1.17 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.28, delivering a surprise of +9.40%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Ameren doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

The Utilities group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Ameren (AEE - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Ameren is one of 111 individual stocks in the Utilities sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #14 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

The Zacks Rank is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. Ameren is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEE's full-year earnings has moved 1.3% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Our latest available data shows that AEE has returned about 11.5% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Utilities companies have returned an average of 6.5%. This means that Ameren is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Another Utilities stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is American Electric Power (AEP - Free Report) . The stock has returned 14.9% year-to-date.

For American Electric Power, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 0.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Ameren is a member of the Utility - Electric Power industry, which includes 63 individual companies and currently sits at #158 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 7.9% so far this year, so AEE is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns. American Electric Power is also part of the same industry.

Investors interested in the Utilities sector may want to keep a close eye on Ameren and American Electric Power as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.

Ameren (AEE - Free Report) is headquartered in St Louis, and is in the Utilities sector. The stock has seen a price change of 15.18% since the start of the year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.75 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.61%. In comparison, the Utility - Electric Power industry's yield is 2.99%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.39%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $3.00 is up 5.6% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Ameren has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 7.11%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Ameren's current payout ratio is 57%, meaning it paid out 57% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for AEE for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $5.38 per share, with earnings expected to increase 6.96% from the year ago period.

Investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons, from tax advantages and decreasing overall portfolio risk to considerably improving stock investing profits. But, not every company offers a quarterly payout.

Big, established firms that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options, but it's fairly uncommon to see high-growth businesses or tech start-ups offer their stockholders a dividend. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that AEE is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering Ameren (AEE - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry.

This utility has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of 5.35%.

For the last reported quarter, Ameren came out with earnings of $1.28 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.17 per share, representing a surprise of 9.40%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $0.77 per share and it actually produced earnings of $0.78 per share, delivering a surprise of 1.30%.

Price and EPS Surprise

With this earnings history in mind, recent estimates have been moving higher for Ameren. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the company is positive, which is a great sign of an earnings beat, especially when you combine this metric with its nice Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Ameren has an Earnings ESP of +2.16% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner.

With the Earnings ESP metric, it's important to note that a negative value reduces its predictive power; however, a negative Earnings ESP does not indicate an earnings miss.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Ameren (AEE - Free Report) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Utilities sector should help us answer this question.

Ameren is one of 110 companies in the Utilities group. The Utilities group currently sits at #7 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.

The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Ameren is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEE's full-year earnings has moved 1.2% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

According to our latest data, AEE has moved about 14.8% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of 8.6% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Ameren is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

American Electric Power (AEP - Free Report) is another Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 19.7%.

Over the past three months, American Electric Power's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 0.4%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Ameren is a member of the Utility - Electric Power industry, which includes 60 individual companies and currently sits at #80 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 10.1% so far this year, so AEE is performing better in this area. American Electric Power is also part of the same industry.

Ameren and American Electric Power could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.

Ameren (AEE) witnessed a jump in share price last session on above-average trading volume. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions for the stock doesn't suggest further strength down the road.

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.

Headquartered in St Louis, Ameren (AEE - Free Report) is a Utilities stock that has seen a price change of 10.64% so far this year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.75 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.72%. In comparison, the Utility - Electric Power industry's yield is 2.94%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.4%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $3.00 is up 5.6% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Ameren has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 7.11%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Ameren's current payout ratio is 57%, meaning it paid out 57% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

AEE is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $5.36 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 6.56%.

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout.

For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, AEE is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Based in St Louis, Ameren (AEE - Free Report) is in the Utilities sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 12.36%. The utility is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.75 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.67%. This compares to the Utility - Electric Power industry's yield of 2.82% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.39%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $3.00 is up 5.6% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Ameren has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 7.11%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Ameren's current payout ratio is 56%, meaning it paid out 56% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, AEE expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $5.32 per share, with earnings expected to increase 5.77% from the year ago period.

From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout.

For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, AEE is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Key Takeaways AEE set to report Q1 2026 results, with earnings expected to rise 9.4% year over year.Ameren benefits from grid upgrades, smart switches and AI-driven data center demand growth.AEE faces headwinds from higher O&M and interest expenses offsetting some gains. Ameren Corporation (AEE - Free Report) is scheduled to release first-quarter 2026 results on May 5, after market close. The company delivered an earnings surprise of 1.3% in the last reported quarter.

Let’s discuss the factors that are likely to be reflected in the upcoming quarterly results.

Factors That are Likely to Have Impacted AEE’s Q1 PerformanceThe company is expected to have continued to benefit from its strategic investments in infrastructure modernization and grid resilience, which are likely to have further enhanced operational efficiency and reliability across its service territories. Ameren is leveraging smart switches, particularly under its Smart Energy Plan, to further modernize its electric grid, improving service reliability and operational efficiency. These initiatives are likely to have boosted the bottom line in the to-be-reported quarter.

Increasing electricity demand from data centers, driven by Artificial Intelligence workloads, is expected to have provided additional support to the company’s quarterly earnings. Strong rate-based growth and solid revenue expectations are likely to have enhanced the overall performance.

The company’s quarterly earnings are anticipated to have benefited from new electric service rates that came into effect during the previous quarters.

However, higher operations and maintenance expenses and interest expenses are likely to have offset some of the positives in the to-be-reported quarter.

AEE’s Q1 ExpectationsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.17 per share, implying 9.4% growth year over year.

The consensus estimate for revenues is pinned at $2.24 billion, implying 6.8% growth year over year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ameren’s total electric sales is pinned at 17,889.9 gigawatt-hours (in millions), implying 0.5% growth from the year-ago quarter’s registered figure.

What Our Quantitative Model PredictsOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for Ameren this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here as you can see below.
 

Other Stocks to ConsiderInvestors may also consider the following players from the same industry, as these, too, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.

Dominion Energy (D - Free Report) is likely to come up with an earnings beat when it reports first-quarter results on May 1. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.31% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

D’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 5.29%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pinned at 89 cents per share, which implies a year-over-year decrease of 4.3%.

Duke Energy Corporation (DUK - Free Report) is likely to come up with an earnings beat when it reports first-quarter results on May 5. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.31% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DUK’s earnings is pinned at $1.79 per share, which implies a year-over-year increase of 1.7%. The consensus estimate for sales implies a year-over-year increase of 1.8%.

NiSource (NI - Free Report) is likely to come up with an earnings beat when it reports first-quarter results on May 6. It has an Earnings ESP of +2.34% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

NI’s long-term earnings growth rate is 6.11%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pinned at $1.03 per share, which implies a year-over-year increase of 5.1%.

First Quarter Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) were $1.28 in 2026 vs. $1.07 in 2025 Reaffirmed 2026 Earnings Guidance Range of $5.25 to $5.45 per Diluted Share , /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE) today announced first quarter 2026 net income attributable to common shareholders of $357 million, or $1.28 per diluted share, compared to first quarter 2025 net income of $289 million, or $1.07 per diluted share.

First quarter 2026 results reflected earnings on infrastructure investments to improve system reliability, resilience, and service quality for our Ameren Missouri and Illinois electric and natural gas customers. These positive contributions were partially offset by lower Ameren Missouri electric retail sales, primarily driven by warmer-than-normal winter temperatures in the current period compared to colder-than-normal temperatures in the prior-year period, along with higher interest expense at Ameren Missouri. Finally, the earnings per diluted share comparison reflected higher weighted-average basic common shares outstanding in the first quarter of 2026.

"Customers depend on us every day for safe, reliable, and affordable energy—and demand is growing," said Martin J. Lyons, Jr., chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ameren Corporation. "Meeting these needs requires disciplined ongoing infrastructure investment. Our strategic plan calls for prudent investments across each of our operating segments to optimize service for our customers and communities today while preparing for the future."

Earnings Guidance

Today, Ameren reaffirmed its 2026 earnings guidance range of $5.25 to $5.45 per share. Earnings guidance for 2026 assumes normal temperatures for the last nine months of the year and is subject to the effects of, among other things: regulatory, judicial and legislative actions; energy center and energy transmission and distribution operations; energy, economic, capital and credit market conditions; customer usage; severe storms; market returns on company-owned life insurance investments; unusual or otherwise unexpected gains or losses; and other risks and uncertainties outlined, or referred to, in the Forward-looking Statements section of this press release.

Ameren Missouri Segment Results

Ameren Missouri first quarter 2026 earnings were $76 million, compared to first quarter 2025 earnings of $42 million. The year-over-year increase reflected earnings on increased infrastructure investments, including infrastructure reflected in electric and natural gas service rates that became effective June 1, 2025, and September 1, 2025, respectively. These positive factors were partially offset by lower electric retail sales, primarily driven by warmer-than-normal winter temperatures in the current period compared to colder-than-normal temperatures in the prior-year period, along with higher interest expense.

Ameren Transmission Segment Results

Ameren Transmission first quarter 2026 earnings were $98 million, compared to first quarter 2025 earnings of $89 million. The year-over-year increase reflected earnings on increased infrastructure investments.

Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution Segment Results

Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution first quarter 2026 earnings were $66 million, compared to first quarter 2025 earnings of $63 million.

Ameren Illinois Natural Gas Segment Results

Ameren Illinois Natural Gas first quarter 2026 earnings were $122 million, compared to first quarter 2025 earnings of $108 million. The year-over-year increase reflected infrastructure investments included in natural gas service rates that became effective December 2, 2025.

Ameren Parent Results (includes items not reported in a business segment)

Ameren Parent first quarter 2026 loss was $5 million, compared to a first quarter 2025 loss of $13 million.

Analyst Conference Call

Ameren will conduct a conference call for financial analysts at 9 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, to discuss first quarter 2026 earnings, 2026 earnings guidance and other matters. Investors, the news media and the public may listen to a live broadcast of the call at AmerenInvestors.com by clicking on "Webcast" under "Latest Quarterly Results," where an accompanying slide presentation will also be available. The conference call and presentation will be archived in the "Investors" section of the website under "Quarterly Earnings."

About Ameren

St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.5 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 transmission and distribution 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 in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.

Forward-looking Statements

Statements in this release not based on historical facts are considered "forward-looking" and, accordingly, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. Although such forward-looking statements have been made in good faith and are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that the expected results will be achieved. These statements include (without limitation) statements as to future expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, strategies, targets, estimates, objectives, events, conditions, and financial performance. In connection with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we are providing this cautionary statement to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. The following factors, in addition to those discussed within Risk Factors in Ameren's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and elsewhere in this release and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations suggested in such forward-looking statements:

regulatory, judicial, or legislative actions, and any changes in regulatory policies and ratemaking determinations that may change regulatory recovery mechanisms or our ability to recover costs and earn a return, such as those that may result from appeals filed by Ameren Illinois to the Illinois Appellate Court for the Fifth Judicial District related to Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) orders issued in December 2023, June 2024, and December 2024 in the multi-year rate plan (MYRP) electric distribution service regulatory rate review, Ameren Illinois' March 2026 appeal of the December 2025 order issued in the 2024 electric distribution service revenue requirement reconciliation adjustment review, Ameren Illinois' 2025 electric distribution service revenue requirement reconciliation adjustment review filed with the ICC in April 2026, Ameren Illinois' January 2026 appeal of the November 2025 ICC order issued in the 2025 natural gas delivery service rate review, Ameren Illinois' 2020 QIP reconciliation hearing, and the January and April 2025 appeals of FERC's October 2024 and March 2025 orders by the MISO transmission owners, including Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, and Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI); our ability to control costs and make substantial investments in our businesses, including our ability to recover costs and investments, and to earn our allowed return on equity (ROE), within frameworks established by our regulators, while maintaining affordability for our customers; the effect and duration of Ameren Illinois' election to utilize MYRPs for electric distribution service ratemaking effective for rates beginning in 2024, including the effect of the reconciliation cap on the electric distribution revenue requirement; the effect on Ameren Missouri of any customer rate caps or limitations on increasing the electric service revenue requirement pursuant to Ameren Missouri's election to use the plant-in-service accounting regulatory mechanism; Ameren Missouri's ability to construct and/or acquire wind, solar, and other renewable energy generation facilities and battery storage, as well as natural gas-fired and nuclear energy centers, extend the operating license for the Callaway Energy Center, reliably operate existing energy centers through their expected retirement dates, retire fossil fuel-fired energy centers, and implement new or existing customer energy-efficiency programs, including any such construction, acquisition, retirement, or implementation in connection with its Smart Energy Plan, preferred resource plan, or emissions reduction goals, and to recover its cost of investment, a related return, and, in the case of customer energy-efficiency programs, any lost electric revenues in a timely manner, each of which is affected by the ability to timely obtain all necessary regulatory and project approvals, including certificates of convenience and necessity (CCNs) from the MoPSC or any other required approvals, including permits to operate the facilities; our ability to realize and support forecasted energy demand and capacity from new and potential new customers, including demand growth dependent on the addition of new data centers and other large primary service customers within our service territories, such as the large load customers that signed electric service agreements with Ameren Missouri in 2026; the effects on energy prices and demand for our services resulting from customer growth patterns or usage, including demand from data centers, technological advances, including advances in customer energy efficiency, electric vehicles, electrification of various industries, energy storage, and private generation sources, which are becoming increasingly cost-competitive; Ameren Missouri's ability to earn, utilize, or transfer at a reasonable price federal production and investment tax credits related to renewable energy projects and nuclear energy production; the cost of wind, solar, and other renewable generation and battery storage technologies; and our ability to obtain timely interconnection agreements with the MISO or other regional transmission organizations at an acceptable cost for each facility; the effect of changes in federal domestic energy policy to support investment in fossil fuel infrastructure and the effect of those changes on Ameren Missouri's ability to construct and/or acquire renewable energy generation facilities and battery storage; the outcome of the MISO long-range transmission planning process, including potential changes to planned projects, the ability to obtain competitively bid or assigned projects and related approvals, including CCNs from the MoPSC and ICC or any other required approvals, and changes in applicable legislative or regulatory frameworks; the inability of our counterparties to meet their obligations with respect to contracts, credit agreements, and financial instruments, including as they relate to the construction and acquisition of electric and natural gas utility infrastructure and the ability of counterparties to complete projects, which is dependent upon the availability of necessary materials and equipment, including those obligations that are affected by supply chain disruptions; advancements in energy technologies, including carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration, hydrogen fuel for electric production and energy storage, next generation nuclear, and large-scale long-cycle battery storage, and the impact of federal and state energy and economic policies with respect to those technologies; the effects of changes in federal, state, or local laws and other domestic or international governmental actions, including monetary, fiscal, foreign trade, and energy policies, foreign trade tariffs, executive orders, geopolitical developments, or extended federal government shutdowns or defunding; the effects of changes in federal, state, or local tax laws or rates; additional regulations, interpretations, amendments, or technical corrections to, or in connection with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), including the effects of the OBBBA as it relates to construction timelines of solar, wind, and battery storage projects along with the ability to obtain materials for these projects to be eligible for federal production and investment tax credits; and any challenges to the tax positions we have taken, as well as resulting effects on customer rates; the cost and availability of fuel, such as low-sulfur coal, natural gas, and enriched uranium used to produce electricity; the cost and availability of natural gas for distribution and the cost and availability of purchased power, including capacity, zero emission credits, renewable energy credits, and emission allowances; and the level and volatility of future market prices for such commodities and credits; disruptions in the delivery of fuel, failure of our fuel suppliers to provide adequate quantities or quality of fuel, or lack of adequate inventories of fuel, including nuclear fuel assemblies primarily from the one Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed supplier of assemblies for Ameren Missouri's Callaway Energy Center; the cost and availability of transmission capacity required for the energy generated by Ameren Missouri's energy centers or as required to satisfy Ameren Missouri's energy sales; the effectiveness of our risk management strategies and our use of financial and derivative instruments; the ability to obtain sufficient insurance at a reasonable cost, or, in the absence of insurance, the ability to timely recover uninsured losses from our customers; the impact of cyberattacks and data security risks on us, our suppliers, or other entities on the grid, including those arising from generative or agentic artificial intelligence, which could, among other things, result in the loss of operational control of energy centers and electric and natural gas transmission and distribution systems and/or the loss of data, such as customer, employee, financial, and operating system information; acts of sabotage, which have increased in frequency and severity within the utility industry, war, terrorism, or other intentionally disruptive acts; business, economic, geopolitical, and capital market conditions, including foreign trade tariffs or trade wars, evolving federal regulatory priorities, and the impact of such conditions on interest rates, inflation, commodity prices, and investments; the impact of inflation or a recession on our customers and suppliers and the related impact on our results of operations, financial position, and liquidity; disruptions of the capital and credit markets, deterioration in our credit metrics, or other events that may have an adverse effect on the cost or availability of capital, including short-term credit and liquidity, and our ability to access the capital and credit markets on reasonable terms when needed; the actions of credit rating agencies and the effects of such actions; the impact of weather conditions and other natural conditions on us and our customers, including the impact of system outages and the level of wind and solar resources; the construction, installation, performance, and cost recovery of generation, transmission, and distribution assets; the ability to maintain system reliability by Ameren Missouri, the MISO, and the electric utility industry, as well as Ameren Missouri's ability to meet existing or future generation capacity and power obligations; the effects of failures of electric generation, electric and natural gas transmission or distribution, or natural gas storage facilities systems and equipment, which could result in unanticipated liabilities or unplanned outages; the operation of Ameren Missouri's Callaway Energy Center, including planned and unplanned outages, as well as the ability to recover costs associated with such outages and the impact of such outages on off-system sales and purchased power, among other things; Ameren Missouri's ability to recover the remaining investment and decommissioning costs associated with the retirement of an energy center, as well as the ability to earn a return on that remaining investment and those decommissioning costs; the impact of current environmental laws or their interpretation and new, more stringent, or changing requirements and environmental policies, including those related to NSR provisions of the Clean Air Act, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and other emissions and discharges, Illinois emission standards, cooling water intake structures, coal combustion residuals, energy efficiency, and wildlife protection, that could limit, terminate or otherwise modify the operation of certain of Ameren Missouri's energy centers, increase our operating costs or investment requirements, result in an impairment of our assets, cause us to sell our assets, reduce our customers' demand for electricity or natural gas, or otherwise have a negative financial effect; the impact of complying with renewable energy standards in Missouri and Illinois and with the zero emission standard in Illinois; the effectiveness of Ameren Missouri's customer energy-efficiency programs and the related revenues and performance incentives earned under its Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act programs; labor disputes, workforce reductions, our ability to attract and retain professional and skilled-craft employees, changes in future wage and employee benefits costs, including those resulting from changes in discount rates, mortality tables, medical cost trend rates, returns on benefit plan assets, and other assumptions; the impact of negative opinions of us or our utility services that our customers, investors, legislators, regulators, creditors, rating agencies, or other stakeholders may have or develop, which could result from a variety of factors, including failures in system reliability, failure to implement our investment plans or disagreement with those plans, failure to protect sensitive customer information, increases in rates, new data centers entering our service territories, negative media coverage, or concerns about company policies or practices; the impact of adopting new accounting and reporting guidance; the effects of strategic initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and reorganizations; legal and administrative proceedings; pandemics or other significant global health events, and their impacts on our results of operations, financial position, and liquidity; and the impacts of global conflicts and related sanctions imposed by the United States and other governments, including potential impacts on the cost and availability of fuel, natural gas, enriched uranium, and other commodities, materials, and services. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of such factors, nor can we assess the impact of each such factor on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained or implied in any forward-looking statement. Given these uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events.

AMEREN CORPORATION (AEE)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME

(Unaudited, in millions, except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended
March 31,

2026

2025

Operating Revenues:

Electric

$      1,661

$      1,622

Natural gas

515

475

Total operating revenues

2,176

2,097

Operating Expenses:

Fuel and purchased power

433

502

Natural gas purchased for resale

171

169

Other operations and maintenance

491

485

Depreciation and amortization

398

367

Taxes other than income taxes

151

144

Total operating expenses

1,644

1,667

Operating Income

532

430

Other Income, Net

90

85

Interest Charges

204

175

Income Before Income Taxes

418

340

Income Taxes

60

50

Net Income

358

290

Less: Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests

1

1

Net Income Attributable to Ameren Common Shareholders

$         357

$         289

Earnings per Common Share - Basic

$        1.29

$        1.07

Earnings per Common Share – Diluted

$        1.28

$        1.07

Weighted-average Common Shares Outstanding – Basic

276.5

270.0

Weighted-average Common Shares Outstanding – Diluted

278.4

271.4

AMEREN CORPORATION (AEE)

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

(Unaudited, in millions)

March 31,
2026

December 31,
2025

ASSETS

Current Assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$              13

$              13

Accounts receivable - trade (less allowance for doubtful accounts)

703

665

Unbilled revenue

298

415

Miscellaneous accounts receivable

175

107

Inventories

733

774

Current regulatory assets

434

387

Other current assets

211

210

Total current assets

2,567

2,571

Property, Plant, and Equipment, Net

40,471

39,313

Investments and Other Assets:

Nuclear decommissioning trust fund

1,478

1,526

Goodwill

411

411

Regulatory assets

2,674

2,524

Pension and other postretirement benefits

991

977

Other assets

1,254

1,154

Total investments and other assets

6,808

6,592

TOTAL ASSETS

$       49,846

$       48,476

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Current Liabilities:

Current maturities of long-term debt

$         1,123

$            973

Short-term debt

1,178

643

Accounts and wages payable

733

1,254

Interest accrued

179

229

Customer deposits

239

238

Other current liabilities

674

570

Total current liabilities

4,126

3,907

Long-term Debt, Net

19,003

18,214

Deferred Credits and Other Liabilities:

Accumulated deferred income taxes and tax credits, net

5,311

5,181

Regulatory liabilities

6,251

6,255

Asset retirement obligations

864

849

Other deferred credits and liabilities

606

540

Total deferred credits and other liabilities

13,032

12,825

Shareholders' Equity:

Common stock

3

3

Other paid-in capital, principally premium on common stock

8,114

8,106

Retained earnings

5,441

5,292

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(2)

—

Total shareholders' equity

13,556

13,401

Noncontrolling Interests

129

129

Total equity

13,685

13,530

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

$       49,846

$       48,476

AMEREN CORPORATION (AEE)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited, in millions)

Three Months Ended
March 31,

2026

2025

Cash Flows From Operating Activities:

Net income

$           358

$           290

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

417

395

Amortization of nuclear fuel

21

20

Amortization of debt issuance costs and premium/discounts

5

5

Deferred income taxes and tax credits, net

56

116

Allowance for equity funds used during construction

(31)

(16)

Stock-based compensation costs

8

7

Other

9

7

Changes in assets and liabilities

(422)

(393)

Net cash provided by operating activities

421

431

Cash Flows From Investing Activities:

Capital expenditures

(1,574)

(1,064)

Nuclear fuel expenditures

(22)

(18)

Purchases of securities – nuclear decommissioning trust fund

(87)

(107)

Sales and maturities of securities – nuclear decommissioning trust fund

76

93

Other

(7)

9

Net cash used in investing activities

(1,614)

(1,087)

Cash Flows From Financing Activities:

Dividends on common stock

(208)

(191)

Dividends paid to noncontrolling interest holders

(1)

(1)

Short-term debt, net

534

108

Maturities of long-term debt

(350)

(300)

Issuances of long-term debt

1,297

1,099

Issuances of common stock

12

13

Employee payroll taxes related to stock-based compensation

(14)

(13)

Debt issuance costs

(12)

(11)

Net cash provided by financing activities

1,258

704

Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

65

48

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of year(a)

420

328

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period(b)

$           485

$           376

(a)

Includes $13 million of cash and cash equivalents and $407 million of restricted cash as of December 31, 2025.

(b)

Includes $13 million of cash and cash equivalents and $472 million of restricted cash as of March 31, 2026.

AMEREN CORPORATION (AEE)

OPERATING STATISTICS

Three Months Ended

March 31,

2026

2025

Electric Sales - kilowatthours (in millions):

Ameren Missouri

Residential

3,596

3,864

Commercial

3,366

3,367

Industrial

954

959

Street lighting and public authority

16

17

Ameren Missouri retail load subtotal

7,932

8,207

Off-system

1,099

1,214

Ameren Missouri total

9,031

9,421

Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution

Residential

2,805

2,973

Commercial

2,710

2,820

Industrial

2,406

2,491

Street lighting and public authority

100

103

Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution total

8,021

8,387

Ameren Total

17,052

17,808

Electric Revenues (in millions):

Ameren Missouri

Residential

$           399

$           376

Commercial

302

273

Industrial

72

66

Other, including street lighting and public authority

36

(2)

Ameren Missouri retail load subtotal

$           809

$           713

Off-system sales and capacity

42

180

Ameren Missouri total

$           851

$           893

Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution

Residential

$           349

$           342

Commercial

195

180

Industrial

55

50

Other, including street lighting and public authority

44

—

Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution total

$           643

$           572

Ameren Transmission

Ameren Illinois Transmission(a)

$           164

$           154

       ATXI

63

57

Eliminate affiliate revenues

—

(1)

Ameren Transmission total

$           227

$           210

Other and intersegment eliminations(a)

(60)

(53)

Ameren Total

$        1,661

$        1,622

(a)

Includes $44 million and $37 million, respectively, of electric operating revenues from transmission services provided to the Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution segment.

AMEREN CORPORATION (AEE)

OPERATING STATISTICS

Three Months Ended

March 31,

2026

2025

Gas Sales - dekatherms (in millions):

Ameren Missouri

8

9

Ameren Illinois Natural Gas

62

65

Ameren Total

70

74

Gas Revenues (in millions):

Ameren Missouri

$             79

$             64

Ameren Illinois Natural Gas

436

411

Ameren Total

$           515

$           475

March 31,

December 31,

2026

2025

Common Stock:

Shares outstanding (in millions)

276.7

276.4

Book value per share

$        48.99

$        48.48

SOURCE Ameren Corporation

Ameren (AEE - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.28 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.17 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.07 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +9.87%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this utility would post earnings of $0.77 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.78, delivering a surprise of +1.3%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

Ameren, which belongs to the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, posted revenues of $2.18 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.85%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.1 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Ameren shares have added about 12.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 5.2%.

What's Next for Ameren?While Ameren has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Ameren was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.05 on $2.34 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $5.32 on $9.5 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Utility - Electric Power is currently in the top 38% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

One other stock from the same industry, NRG Energy (NRG - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. The results are expected to be released on May 6.

This power company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.78 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -32.1%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.2% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

NRG Energy's revenues are expected to be $10.36 billion, up 20.7% from the year-ago quarter.

Ameren Corporation (AEE) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

, /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE) today declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 75 cents per share. This dividend is payable June 30, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 9, 2026. 

Separately, the board of directors of Union Electric Company, doing business as Ameren Missouri, declared regular quarterly cash dividends on all classes of Union Electric Company's preferred stock. These preferred stock dividends are payable Aug. 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 16, 2026.

In addition, the board of directors of Ameren Illinois Company, doing business as Ameren Illinois, declared regular quarterly cash dividends on all classes of Ameren Illinois Company's preferred stock. These preferred stock dividends are payable Aug. 1, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 10, 2026. 

About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.5 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 transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated regional electric transmission projects in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren. 

SOURCE Ameren Corporation

For those looking to find strong Utilities stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Ameren (AEE - Free Report) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Ameren is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 110 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #14. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Ameren is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEE's full-year earnings has moved 0.1% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Our latest available data shows that AEE has returned about 9.2% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of 5.6% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Ameren is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another Utilities stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is ENGIE - Sponsored ADR (ENGIY - Free Report) . The stock has returned 19.5% year-to-date.

In ENGIE - Sponsored ADR's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 8.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Ameren belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry, a group that includes 60 individual companies and currently sits at #152 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 5.7% so far this year, so AEE is performing better in this area. ENGIE - Sponsored ADR is also part of the same industry.

Ameren and ENGIE - Sponsored ADR could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.

Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.

Headquartered in St Louis, Ameren (AEE - Free Report) is a Utilities stock that has seen a price change of 8.12% so far this year. The utility is paying out a dividend of $0.75 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 2.78% compared to the Utility - Electric Power industry's yield of 2.93% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.42%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $3.00 is up 5.6% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Ameren has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 7.11%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Ameren's current payout ratio is 57%, meaning it paid out 57% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, AEE expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $5.36 per share, with earnings expected to increase 6.56% from the year ago period.

From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.

High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. With that in mind, AEE is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).