Alta Fundamental Advisers LLC Has $8.49 Million Holdings in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU)

Key Points

• Alta Fundamental Advisers LLC reduced its holdings in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) by 18.2%, now owning 626,241 shares valued at approximately $8.49 million.
• Peabody Energy's recent earnings report showed a loss of ($0.06) EPS, missing estimates, with a significant year-over-year revenue decline of 14.6%.
• The company has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.075, reflecting an annual yield of 1.7%, demonstrating a cautious approach towards shareholder returns amid fluctuating financial performance.

Alta Fundamental Advisers LLC lowered its stake in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU - Free Report) by 18.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 626,241 shares of the coal producer's stock after selling 139,759 shares during the period. Peabody Energy accounts for approximately 5.4% of Alta Fundamental Advisers LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Alta Fundamental Advisers LLC owned 0.52% of Peabody Energy worth $8,486,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Peabody Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $3,474,000. GeoSphere Capital Management LLC raised its position in Peabody Energy by 132.2% in the 4th quarter. GeoSphere Capital Management LLC now owns 100,000 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $2,094,000 after buying an additional 56,929 shares during the last quarter. PDT Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,515,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 26.5% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 788,426 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $16,510,000 after purchasing an additional 164,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $156,000. Institutional investors own 87.44% of the company's stock.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

Peabody Energy stock traded down $0.34 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $17.98. The stock had a trading volume of 2,789,565 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,937,122. The firm's fifty day moving average is $15.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.38. The company has a market capitalization of $2.19 billion, a PE ratio of 17.46 and a beta of 0.53. Peabody Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $9.61 and a 52-week high of $29.94. The company has a current ratio of 2.21, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The coal producer reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $890.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $944.27 million. Peabody Energy had a return on equity of 4.41% and a net margin of 3.43%. The company's revenue was down 14.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.42 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Peabody Energy Corporation will post 2.61 EPS for the current year.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 14th will be paid a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 14th. Peabody Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on BTU shares. Benchmark reduced their price target on shares of Peabody Energy from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Peabody Energy in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $14.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Peabody Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Peabody Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $21.60.

Peabody Energy 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.