St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. is a public utility that serves 2.4 million electric customers and 900,000 natural gas customers through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois regulated subsidiaries. Customers are located in central and eastern Missouri and southern Illinois. Ameren Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with a generating capacity of 10,800 megawatts. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission service as well as natural gas delivery. Ameren Transmission Co. of Illinois develops regional electric transmission projects. AEE also operates one nuclear-generating facility. In 2023, electricity accounted for about 83% of total revenues. Management is committed to electric and gas service expansion and infrastructure improvements in the company's regulated service territories. Ameren has exited the volatile non-regulated merchant energy business, and has shown little interest in acquiring non-regulated assets. The company operates several nuclear generators, but still relies heavily on coal. Management estimates that about 14% of revenues came from coal generation in 2023, and expects coal generation to drop to about 3% of rate-base generation by the end of 2028. The company is targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, and has been adding solar and wind projects in Missouri. AEE has 9,000 employees. The shares are a component of the S&P 500. The company's market cap is approximately $19 billion.

All of the major U.S. stock indices are higher at midday on Tuesday, albeit modestly so. Investors are mulling over some fresh economic data in the form of durable goods orders and consumer confidence. Orders for durable goods rebounded in February, up 1.4% on the back of increases in transportation equipment and machinery orders. Turning to consumer confidence, The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for March printed at 104.7 compared to a revised 104.8 in February. But the so-called 'expectations index' dropped to 73.8 from 76.3 a month ago. That suggests that consumers are less optimistic in the short term. Crude oil has turned slightly lower as of midday, while gold is essentially on a flat line.

Ameren owns rate-regulated generation, transmission, and distribution networks that deliver electricity and natural gas in Missouri and Illinois. It serves more than 2.4 million electricity customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers.

Ameren owns rate-regulated generation, transmission, and distribution networks that deliver electricity and natural gas in Missouri and Illinois. It serves more than 2.4 million electricity customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers.