Ameren Corporation (AEE) has reported 7.58 percent rise in profit for the quarter ended Sep. 30, 2016. The company has earned $369 million, or $1.52 a share in the quarter, compared with $343 million, or $1.41 a share for the same period last year.     

Revenue during the quarter went up marginally by 1.42 percent to $1,859 million from $1,833 million in the previous year period. Gross margin for the quarter expanded 336 basis points over the previous year period to 55.46 percent. Total expenses were 62.83 percent of quarterly revenues, down from 65.85 percent for the same period last year. This has led to an improvement of 302 basis points in operating margin to 37.17 percent.

Operating income for the quarter was $691 million, compared with $626 million in the previous year period.

"We are on track to deliver strong earnings results for 2016," said Warner L. Baxter, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ameren Corporation. “Our team continued to successfully execute all elements of our strategy, including allocating capital to jurisdictions with modern, constructive regulatory frameworks and managing costs in a disciplined manner. That performance drove strong third quarter earnings, which also benefited from warmer-than-normal summer temperatures. As a result, I am pleased to report that we have raised our 2016 guidance to a range of $2.65 to $2.75 per share, up from our prior range of $2.45 to $2.65 per share."

For fiscal year 2016, the company expects diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $2.65 to $2.75.   

The company has spent $1,551 million cash to meet investing activities during the nine month period as against cash outgo of $1,362 million in the last year period.

The company has spent $282 million cash to carry out financing activities during the nine month period as against cash outgo of $113 million in the last year period.

Cash and cash equivalents stood at stood at $18 million as at Sep. 30, 2016.