Commerce Energy Group (OTCMKTS:CMNR) & Ameren (NYSE:AEE) Critical Contrast

Commerce Energy Group (OTCMKTS:CMNR) and Ameren (NYSE:AEE) are both utilities companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, earnings, valuation, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Commerce Energy Group and Ameren”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Commerce Energy Group	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ameren	$8.80 billion	3.57	$1.46 billion	$5.35	21.24

Ameren has higher revenue and earnings than Commerce Energy Group.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

79.1% of Ameren shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.9% of Commerce Energy Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Ameren shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Commerce Energy Group and Ameren’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Commerce Energy Group	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ameren	16.55%	10.69%	2.91%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Commerce Energy Group and Ameren, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Commerce Energy Group	0	0	0	0	0.00
Ameren	0	6	7	1	2.64

Ameren has a consensus price target of $117.31, indicating a potential upside of 3.24%. Given Ameren’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Ameren is more favorable than Commerce Energy Group.

Summary

Ameren beats Commerce Energy Group on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Commerce Energy Group

Commerce Energy Group Inc. through its subsidiaries provides electric power and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers in California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Ohio. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Costa Mesa, California.

About Ameren

Ameren Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, and Ameren Transmission. It engages in the rate-regulated electric generation, transmission, and distribution activities; and rate-regulated natural gas distribution business. In addition, the company generates electricity through coal, nuclear, and natural gas, as well as renewable sources, such as hydroelectric, wind, methane gas, and solar. It serves residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1881 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.