Finance and Economic

Ameren Corp. said second-quarter profit fell 20 percent from a year ago when the company recorded a gain on a settlement related to the early termination of a coal-supply agreement.

Excluding the gain and other nonrecurring items, net income increased 13 percent to $161 million, or 75 cents a share. On the same basis, Ameren earned $142 million, or 67 cents a share in last year’s second quarter.

St. Louis-based Ameren, which sells electricity and natural-gas to 2.4 million customers in Missouri and Illinois, said the improvement reflects rate increases in both states within the past year and lower operating expenses totally free credit score.

Electricity sales to industrial customers fell 13 percent from last year as a result of the recession, Ameren said. The figure doesn’t include the loss of sales to Noranda Aluminum Inc.’s smelter in southeast Missouri, which has been operating below capacity since January.

Ameren benefited from electric rate increases totaling more than $300 million a year. The company’s utilities have sought additional increases in Illinois and Missouri during recent weeks.

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