Ameren

Ameren is a regulated utility supplying electricity and natural gas to customers in Missouri and Illinois, with a generation fleet it is steadily shifting from coal toward renewables. As a rate-regulated business, its earnings grow largely in line with approved capital investment in the grid and clean energy, which gives it the predictable, defensive character typical of the sector. Ameren has paid dividends for decades and raised them consistently in recent years, funded by the steady cash flow that regulation provides. A dependable, growing payout underpinned by a clear multi-year investment plan is the core appeal, even though the yield is moderate and the shares carry the interest-rate sensitivity common to utilities. The profile is that of a reliable income holding with slow, visible growth.