Nov 5 (Reuters) -

Utility company Ameren Corp ( AEE ) beat Wall Street

estimates for third-quarter profit on Wednesday and raised its

annual profit forecast, citing higher rates and strong power

demand.

U.S. utilities have been seeking higher rates as the

country's electrical grids face extreme weather and growing

demand from the rapid buildout of data centers.

Power demand from data centers in the U.S. is expected to

nearly triple in the next three years and consume as much as 12%

of the country's electricity, according to a Department of

Energy-backed study.

Ameren ( AEE ) said it expects 2025 adjusted profit of $4.90 to

$5.10 per share, up from earlier expectations of $4.85 to $5.05

per share.

The company also forecast 2026 profit of $5.25 to $5.45 per

share, the midpoint of which is above estimates of $5.33 per

share, according to data compiled by LSEG.

The utility company serves 2.4 million electric customers

and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a

64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren

Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries.

During the third quarter, electric sales in Ameren's ( AEE )

Missouri unit rose 3.5% to 9,563 kilowatthours, while total

electric sales in Illinois rose 1.3%.

However, revenue from its gas segment fell 1.4% to $136

million, down from $138 million a year earlier.

The St. Louis, Missouri-based company reported profit of

$2.17 per share, topping analysts' estimates of $2.11 per share.