Ameren owns rate-regulated generation, transmission, and distribution networks that deliver electricity and natural gas in Missouri and Illinois. It serves 2.5 million electricity customers and approximately 1 million natural gas customers.

St. Louis-based Ameren Corp. is a fully-regulated 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 generating capacity of about 10,000 megawatts. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission service as well as natural gas delivery. Ameren Transmission Co. of Illinois develops regional electric transmission projects to add to the utility's 8,000 of existing transmission miles. AEE also operates one nuclear-generating facility. Revenues in 2024 totaled $7.6 billion, of which just over 85% was from electricity operations. 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 has nuclear operations, but still relies heavily on coal. Of the utility's generating capacity, the 2023 fuel mix is about 44% coal, 12% nuclear, 29% natural gas/oil, and 15% renewables. Management estimates that 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 $26.7 billion.

The markets are higher at midday. Today is a Fed Day. At 2pm, the Fed announces its latest rate decision. No move is expected. At 2:30pm, Chairman Jerome Powell will hold his usual press conference and will answer questions. This quarter, the 'dot plot' also comes out which shows the Fed's leaning on the future direction of rates. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note is at 4.31%. Oil is at $67 per barrel. Bitcoin is near $84,300.

In this edition, US utilities are slowly regaining their luster; Germany's auto industry is slowing down; China is building up home demand; and Elekta, Auckland International Airport, and Yum China.