AMEREN CORP. $36 (New York symbol AEE; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 242.6 million; Market cap: $8.7 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 4.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.ameren.com) has received approval from federal regulators to sell five of its nonregulated coal-fired power plants in Illinois to Dynegy Inc. (New York symbol DYN).
Weak power demand and lower rates have hurt these plants’profits. As a result, Ameren will receive no cash for them. However, Dynegy will assume $825 million of their debt.
Regulators in Illinois have also let Ameren put off installing new pollution-control equipment in these plants until 2020. However, Dynegy may cancel the deal if regulators force it to make these upgrades sooner.
Ameren is a hold.