Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the six analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $34.1250.

BTU has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded Peabody Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Peabody Energy in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Peabody Energy from $32.00 to $30.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, 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.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

Shares of BTU opened at $24.12 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $26.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $30.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The company has a market capitalization of $2.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -24.36 and a beta of 0.36. Peabody Energy has a 52-week low of $12.58 and a 52-week high of $41.14.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The coal producer reported ($0.26) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by ($0.40). The business had revenue of $973.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $977.42 million. Peabody Energy had a negative net margin of 3.07% and a negative return on equity of 2.80%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.27 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Peabody Energy will post 0.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 19th were issued a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 19th. Peabody Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently -30.30%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peabody Energy

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of BTU. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 104.3% in the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,006 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,024 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 1,513.7% in the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,178 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,105 shares during the period. Finally, Main Street Group LTD acquired a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 87.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.