Ameren Corporation AEE reported second-quarter 2018 earnings of 97 cents per share from continuing operations, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 79 cents by 22.8%. The bottom line also increased 22.8% year over year, primarily driven by higher Ameren Missouri electric retail sales.Also, infrastructure investments made at Ameren Transmission, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution and Ameren Illinois Natural Gas contributed to bottom-line growth.Total RevenuesTotal revenues came in at $1,563 million, which increased 1.7% year over year owing to higher electric and natural gas sales volumes.Ameren Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Ameren Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Ameren Corporation QuoteHighlights of the ReleaseAmeren’s total electricity sales volumes increased 2% to 19,495 million kilowatt hours (kWh) compared with 19,121 million kWh in the prior-year quarter. Gas volumes improved 15.6% to 37 million dekatherms.Total operating expenses summed $1,178 million, up 2.4% year over year.Interest expenses were $100 million compared with $99 million in the year-ago quarter.Financial ConditionAmeren reported cash and cash equivalents of $29 million as of Jun 30, 2018 compared with $10 million at 2017-end.As of Jun 30, 2018, long-term debt totaled $7,613 million compared with $7,094 million as of Dec 31, 2017.As of Jun 30, 2018, cash from operating activities amounted to $820 million compared with $863 million in the prior-year period.GuidanceAmeren has raised its 2018 earnings per share guidance to the range of $3.15-$3.35 from $2.95-$3.15 projected earlier.Zacks RankAmeren carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Recent Utility ReleasesConsolidated Edison Inc. ED reported second-quarter 2018 adjusted earnings of 61 cents per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 57 cents by 7%.Entergy Corporation’s ETR second-quarter 2018 adjusted earnings came in at $1.79 per share, which exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.26 by 42.1%.NextEra Energy, Inc. NEE reported second-quarter 2018 adjusted earnings of $2.11 per share, which outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.07 by 1.93%. The bottom line was also up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis.Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars?Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge.With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research.It's not the one you think.See This Ticker Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ameren Corporation (AEE): Free Stock Analysis Report NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE): Free Stock Analysis Report Entergy Corporation (ETR): Free Stock Analysis Report Consolidated Edison Inc (ED): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research