Latest news with #Ameren
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Decatur Fire Department responds to garage fire
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — The Decatur Fire Department was able to extinguish a garage fire Friday afternoon before it could fully spread to a nearby home. At approximately 2:55 p.m., the department responded to the report of a detached garage fire in the 2100 block of E Whitmer Street in Decatur. Upon arrival, crews found the garage fully engulfed in flames, with the fire beginning to spread to the nearby residence. Urbana Fire Department responds to house fire Firefighters immediately started an aggressive fire attack, successfully extinguishing the garage fire and preventing further spread to the home. The quick response and effective tactics of the firefighters resulted in the damage being limited to the exterior of the residence. Additionally, the house was unoccupied at the time of the fire and was undergoing renovations. After fire suppression efforts, the Decatur Fire Department Fire Investigation Unit responded to the scene. The cause of this fire remains under investigation. In total, Battalion 1, Engine 6, Truck 2, Engine 7, Engine 4 and Engine 3 all responded to the fire. Ameren also provided help as an assisting agency on scene. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Calculating The Fair Value Of Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE)
The projected fair value for Ameren is US$91.75 based on Dividend Discount Model Current share price of US$96.88 suggests Ameren is potentially trading close to its fair value Our fair value estimate is 11% lower than Ameren's analyst price target of US$103 Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early. We have to calculate the value of Ameren slightly differently to other stocks because it is a integrated utilities company. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. The 'Gordon Growth Model' is used, which simply assumes that dividend payments will continue to increase at a sustainable growth rate forever. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.9%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.4%. Relative to the current share price of US$96.9, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = US$3.2 / (6.4% – 2.9%) = US$91.8 Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Ameren as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. View our latest analysis for Ameren Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Weakness Earnings growth over the past year is below its 5-year average. Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Integrated Utilities market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Paying a dividend but company has no free cash flows. Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Ameren, we've put together three further aspects you should further research: Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Ameren (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about. Future Earnings: How does AEE's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Seven charged for tampering, wire theft in tornado zone
ST. LOUIS – Five men and two women have been charged with tampering or stealing wiring in neighborhoods devastated by the May 16 St. Louis tornado. According to probable cause statements from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the crimes took place in three different neighborhoods: May 22: 4400 block of Natural Bridge Avenue (Penrose) May 23: 1300 block of North Euclid Avenue (Fountain Park) May 23: 5100 Kensington Avenue (Academy/Sherman Park) In the first incident, police responded to a reported theft near Natural Bridge and San Francisco avenues. Officers arrived to find Drevon Rawson, 23; Robert Maynard, 48; and Brandy Markwick, 41, placing large amounts of wire in the back of their truck. Maynard allegedly told police that the security guard for Save A Lot knew the suspects and allowed them to be on the lot. The security guard told police she saw the trio and told them they were not allowed to be on the parking lot and that they needed to leave. The trio was then taken into custody. In the second theft, police were sent to an alleyway near N. Euclid and found Nicholas Allen, 37, and Daniel Garber, 38, attempting to load wire onto the bed of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup. The wire belonged to Ameren and AT&T. Police said the wires were still attached to an Ameren utility pole. Both Allen and Garber were on probation/parole, and Garber had active arrest warrants in Jefferson County and Sunset Hills, Missouri. 'Devil in the Ozarks' escapes north Arkansas prison Lastly, police received a call of two people cutting wire from a transported in an alley behind Kensington Avenue. Police said they discovered Ashley J. Kirkover, 29, and Michael Thorton, 44, had placed the transporter on the floor of their van. The pair admitted they'd cut the transporter down in order to scrap it. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office charged Markwick, Maynard, and Rawson with stealing – $750 or more and first-degree trespassing. All three are jailed without bond. Maynard and Rawson made their initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon. Allen and Garber were each charged with two counts of first-degree tampering with service of a utility or institution and two counts of stealing – $750 or more. They're being held without bond. Both suspects made their first court appearances on Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors charged Kirkover and Thornton, both residents of Granite City, Illinois, with one count of first-degree tampering with service of a utility or institution. They've been jailed without bond and appeared in court Tuesday afternoon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois lawmakers consider fixes to energy policy that's been outpaced by power-hungry technology
CHICAGO — When Illinois enacted a sweeping clean energy law in 2021, the state was seen as ahead of the curve in promoting renewable energy standards and creating clean energy jobs. But with advances in technology such as generative artificial intelligence driving up energy usage across the country, Illinois lawmakers from both parties, as well as environmental advocates, say the state's energy policy has fallen behind. In the final days of the spring session, lawmakers are working on a legislative package aimed at addressing the state's growing energy needs and rising costs without derailing the ambitious goals championed by Gov. JB Pritzker to make the state carbon-free by midcentury. 'What we're trying to do is find ways to ensure those capacity spikes don't continue for years into the future, and there's really only two ways of doing that, and that's by either decreasing demand for electricity or increasing supply,' said state Sen. Bill Cunningham, a Chicago Democrat who's leading energy legislation efforts in the Senate. 'I think that's really the underlying impetus for energy bills this session.' Due to supply cost increases, the average bill for a residential Commonwealth Edison customer is expected to increase this summer by $10.60 per month. The typical Ameren customer's monthly bill is expected to increase by approximately 18% to 22%, depending on their usage. Cunningham said while lawmakers don't have control over the expected increased electricity charges going into effect this June, they can work to mitigate future spikes. The state's past energy legislation, such as the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which aims for 40% renewable energy by 2030, did not account for the dramatic rise in energy usage from data centers and other large energy developers, Cunningham said. There are several business developments, such as data centers, being planned in Illinois that could bring a total of 30 gigawatts of electricity, the equivalent of 3 billion light bulbs, to the grid starting in 2029, according to Anna Markowski, Midwest director of Place-Based Advocacy on Climate and Energy for the Natural Resources Defense Council. That's more than double the grid's current maximum capacity, Markowski said. A study by the Illinois Commerce Commission released early May estimated that the state could lose approximately $12 billion in direct development investments, along with $60 billion in hardware and systems investments, for every gigawatt of power that can't be provided. 'The markets are screaming at us, saying build more generation,' said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association. 'Everyone's bidding for a limited amount of power.' Lawmakers sent a 600-page draft of energy legislation to stakeholders in early May, less than two weeks before the end of session. The measure's proposals range from expanding nuclear energy to increasing large-scale energy storage in batteries. One proposal would require new data centers and other large energy users building in Illinois to bring their own renewable energy to the grid, or pay a higher fee into the state budget that would fund other renewable projects. The measure is backed by environmental interests and others who say the companies building large data centers and other businesses that sap energy resources should pay more, instead of having the burden fall on homeowners and small-business users. 'Once those big loads start to come on the grid, we're going to start to see instability,' Markowski said. 'We're going to start to see costs transferred onto every household, and so what we're trying to do within the bill is protect against that by making them bring new energy. You can't just cannibalize whatever we have here.' Illinois electrical consumers, from residential consumers to commercial data centers, are already required to pay a fee to the state's renewable portfolio standards, which fund the part of the state budget used to award grants to renewable energy developers. But the fee for new data centers and other large energy users would be three times larger under the latest proposal. Denzler warned the higher fee could have an adverse impact on economic development in the state. 'I mean your costs right there are going to be astronomical for a large user, and they're just going to go to Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and other states,' Denzler said. Another proposal that's received increased support this year is a plan that could expand nuclear power by lifting a moratorium on the construction of new nuclear plants, an idea organized labor and manufacturers have historically backed while environmental groups have opposed. Gov. Pritzker has indicated support for the idea of allowing flexibility on new nuclear plants, a shift from his previous position against large-scale nuclear plants. He vetoed a bill to lift the state's decade-old moratorium on new nuclear plants in 2023. 'We're looking forward to having a bill that comes to my desk that will allow us to expand the options for nuclear in the state of Illinois,' Pritzker said in mid-April. 'But it has to be done in the right way, and I think the legislature and my team are working together to make sure that that happens.' The legislative draft also would create an ambitious new goal for large-scale energy storage through large batteries that would absorb excess wind and solar power for later use, along with goals to deliver clean, low-cost energy, while also promoting several efficiency measures supporting virtual power plants. Cunningham said that if the larger legislative package does not come together, proposals within the measure could still be pushed as individual bills. 'We'll see if it bears fruit,' Cunningham said. ____
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers consider fixes to energy policy that's been outpaced by power-hungry technology
When Illinois enacted a sweeping clean energy law in 2021, the state was seen as ahead of the curve in promoting renewable energy standards and creating clean energy jobs. But with advances in technology such as generative artificial intelligence driving up energy usage across the country, Illinois lawmakers from both parties, as well as environmental advocates, say the state's energy policy has fallen behind. In the final days of the spring session, lawmakers are working on a legislative package aimed at addressing the state's growing energy needs and rising costs without derailing the ambitious goals championed by Gov. JB Pritzker to make the state carbon-free by midcentury. 'What we're trying to do is find ways to ensure those capacity spikes don't continue for years into the future, and there's really only two ways of doing that, and that's by either decreasing demand for electricity or increasing supply,' said state Sen. Bill Cunningham, a Chicago Democrat who's leading energy legislation efforts in the Senate. 'I think that's really the underlying impetus for energy bills this session.' Due to supply cost increases, the average bill for a residential Commonwealth Edison customer is expected to increase this summer by $10.60 per month. The typical Ameren customer's monthly bill is expected to increase by approximately 18% to 22%, depending on their usage. Cunningham said while lawmakers don't have control over the expected increased electricity charges going into effect this June, they can work to mitigate future spikes. The state's past energy legislation, such as the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which aims for 40% renewable energy by 2030, did not account for the dramatic rise in energy usage from data centers and other large energy developers, Cunningham said. There are several business developments, such as data centers, being planned in Illinois that could bring a total of 30 gigawatts of electricity, the equivalent of 3 billion light bulbs, to the grid starting in 2029, according to Anna Markowski, Midwest director of Place-Based Advocacy on Climate and Energy for the Natural Resources Defense Council. That's more than double the grid's current maximum capacity, Markowski said. A study by the Illinois Commerce Commission released early May estimated that the state could lose approximately $12 billion in direct development investments, along with $60 billion in hardware and systems investments, for every gigawatt of power that can't be provided. 'The markets are screaming at us, saying build more generation,' said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association. 'Everyone's bidding for a limited amount of power.' Lawmakers sent a 600-page draft of energy legislation to stakeholders in early May, less than two weeks before the end of session. The measure's proposals range from expanding nuclear energy to increasing large-scale energy storage in batteries. One proposal would require new data centers and other large energy users building in Illinois to bring their own renewable energy to the grid, or pay a higher fee into the state budget that would fund other renewable projects. The measure is backed by environmental interests and others who say the companies building large data centers and other businesses that sap energy resources should pay more, instead of having the burden fall on homeowners and small-business users. 'Once those big loads start to come on the grid, we're going to start to see instability,' Markowski said. 'We're going to start to see costs transferred onto every household, and so what we're trying to do within the bill is protect against that by making them bring new energy. You can't just cannibalize whatever we have here.' Illinois electrical consumers, from residential consumers to commercial data centers, are already required to pay a fee to the state's renewable portfolio standards, which fund the part of the state budget used to award grants to renewable energy developers. But the fee for new data centers and other large energy users would be three times larger under the latest proposal. Denzler warned the higher fee could have an adverse impact on economic development in the state. 'I mean your costs right there are going to be astronomical for a large user, and they're just going to go to Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and other states,' Denzler said. Another proposal that's received increased support this year is a plan that could expand nuclear power by lifting a moratorium on the construction of new nuclear plants, an idea organized labor and manufacturers have historically backed while environmental groups have opposed. Gov. Pritzker has indicated support for the idea of allowing flexibility on new nuclear plants, a shift from his previous position against large-scale nuclear plants. He vetoed a bill to lift the state's decade-old moratorium on new nuclear plants in 2023. 'We're looking forward to having a bill that comes to my desk that will allow us to expand the options for nuclear in the state of Illinois,' Pritzker said in mid-April. 'But it has to be done in the right way, and I think the legislature and my team are working together to make sure that that happens.' The legislative draft also would create an ambitious new goal for large-scale energy storage through large batteries that would absorb excess wind and solar power for later use, along with goals to deliver clean, low-cost energy, while also promoting several efficiency measures supporting virtual power plants. Cunningham said that if the larger legislative package does not come together, proposals within the measure could still be pushed as individual bills. 'We'll see if it bears fruit,' Cunningham said.
