Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Raised to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Peabody Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Peabody Energy from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of Peabody Energy from $23.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Peabody Energy from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Peabody Energy from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Peabody Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.25.

Peabody Energy Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of BTU stock opened at $37.97 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -130.91 and a beta of 0.41. Peabody Energy has a 12-month low of $9.61 and a 12-month high of $39.95. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $30.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $25.27.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The coal producer reported ($0.58) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.19) by ($0.39). Peabody Energy had a negative net margin of 0.83% and a negative return on equity of 0.25%. The firm had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $990.20 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.74 earnings per share. Peabody Energy’s quarterly revenue was down 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Peabody Energy will post 2.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Peabody Energy news, CAO Scott T. Jarboe sold 2,151 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.26, for a total value of $73,693.26. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 82,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,819,803.56. This trade represents a 2.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peabody Energy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in Peabody Energy by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 72,693 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $985,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 45.3% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 33,359 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $452,000 after purchasing an additional 10,401 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy during the first quarter valued at $261,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 64.7% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,018 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $247,000 after purchasing an additional 6,685 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Peabody Energy by 98.6% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 9,962 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $134,000 after buying an additional 4,946 shares during the period. 87.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Peabody Energy Company Profile

Peabody Energy Corporation is one of the world’s largest private-sector coal companies, engaged primarily in the production and sale of metallurgical and thermal coal. The company’s operations span surface and underground mines, serving utilities, steel mills and other industrial customers that rely on coal as an essential component in power generation and steelmaking. Peabody’s product portfolio includes high-energy thermal coal for electricity generation and low-volatile metallurgical coal used in steel production, reflecting its diverse end-market reach.

Founded in 1883, Peabody Energy has grown from a regional mining concern into a global energy supplier.