Capital Fund Management S.A. Acquires Shares of 106,026 Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU)

Capital Fund Management S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 106,026 shares of the coal producer's stock, valued at approximately $2,220,000. Capital Fund Management S.A. owned 0.09% of Peabody Energy at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Peabody Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $337,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 26.5% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 788,426 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $16,510,000 after acquiring an additional 164,987 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 44.8% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 89,928 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $1,883,000 after acquiring an additional 27,820 shares in the last quarter. Old West Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Peabody Energy by 211.3% in the fourth quarter. Old West Investment Management LLC now owns 57,243 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $1,199,000 after purchasing an additional 38,853 shares during the period. Finally, Islay Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Peabody Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $680,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.44% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on BTU shares. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Benchmark lowered their target price on shares of Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, B. Riley cut their price target on Peabody Energy from $27.00 to $19.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th.

Peabody Energy Stock Up 5.4 %

Shares of NYSE:BTU traded up $0.66 during trading on Friday, hitting $12.89. 3,847,850 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,209,502. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $13.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.45. Peabody Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $9.61 and a 12-month high of $29.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 0.52.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The coal producer reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.25). Peabody Energy had a net margin of 8.75% and a return on equity of 10.33%. On average, research analysts predict that Peabody Energy Co. will post 2.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 19th were given a dividend of $0.075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 19th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.33%. Peabody Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.11%.

Peabody Energy Company Profile

Peabody Energy Corporation engages in coal mining business in the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, India, Brazil, Belgium, Chile, France, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Germany, and internationally. The company operates through Seaborne Thermal, Seaborne Metallurgical, Powder River Basin, Other U.S.