Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Makes New $8.28 Million Investment in Peabody Energy Corporation $BTU

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 278,781 shares of the coal producer’s stock, valued at approximately $8,280,000. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.23% of Peabody Energy at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in BTU. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in Peabody Energy by 1.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 72,693 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $985,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 valued at $452,000 after purchasing an additional 10,401 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of Peabody Energy during the first quarter valued at $261,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 21.4% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 291,577 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $3,913,000 after purchasing an additional 51,384 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 742.1% during the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 281,576 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $3,779,000 after purchasing an additional 248,140 shares in the last quarter. 87.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on BTU shares. UBS Group lowered their price target on Peabody Energy from $32.00 to $30.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Peabody Energy in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. B. Riley Financial downgraded Peabody Energy from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $42.00 to $30.00 in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Peabody Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $34.13.

Peabody Energy Stock Down 3.9%

Peabody Energy stock opened at $27.10 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $3.30 billion, a PE ratio of -27.38 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.87. Peabody Energy Corporation has a one year low of $12.58 and a one year high of $41.14. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $27.49 and a 200 day moving average of $30.97.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The coal producer reported ($0.26) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by ($0.40). The firm had revenue of $973.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $977.42 million. Peabody Energy had a negative net margin of 3.07% and a negative return on equity of 2.80%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.27 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Peabody Energy Corporation will post 0.48 EPS for the current year.

Peabody Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 19th were given a dividend of $0.075 per share. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 19th. Peabody Energy’s dividend payout ratio is -30.30%.

About Peabody Energy

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.