Ameren Corporation (AEE Quick QuoteAEE - Free Report) is a utility company, which generates and distributes electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and wholesale end markets in Missouri and Illinois. This St. Louis-based company has been concentrating on its rate-regulated utilities following its exit from the merchant generation business.

However, the company is subject to volatile commodity prices and stringent environmental regulations, which could negatively impact its margins.
 
Estimate Trend & Surprise History

Investors should note that the second quarter Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings of 53 cents per share has decreased by 2 cents over the last 30 days.

Coming to the earnings surprise, Ameren Corporation has surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the last four quarters, which have resulted in a negative average surprise of 7.19%.
 

Zacks Rank: Currently, Ameren Corporation has a Zacks Rank# 4 (Sell) but that could change following its second quarter 2016 earnings report which has just released. We have highlighted some of the key details from the just-released announcement below:

Earnings: Ameren Corporation surpassed earnings estimate. Earnings per share came in at 61 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 53 cents by 15.1%.

Key Stats: Total electric sales in the reported quarter decreased by nearly 7.6% year over year to 17,508 million kilowatthours.

Stock Price: It would be interesting to see how the market reacts to the second quarter earnings beat during the trading session today.

Check back later for our full write up on this AEE earnings report later!

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>