Apis Capital Advisors LLC Takes $9.21 Million Position in Peabody Energy Corporation $BTU

Key Points

• Apis Capital Advisors initiated a new position in Peabody Energy during the fourth quarter, buying 310,000 shares worth about $9.21 million. The stake represents roughly 1.6% of its portfolio and about 0.25% of Peabody’s outstanding shares.
• Other institutional investors also increased their holdings, and institutional ownership stands at 87.44% of the company’s stock. This suggests Peabody remains heavily held by professional investors despite recent changes in positions.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed to cautious: several firms cut ratings or price targets, leaving the stock with a consensus “Hold” and an average price target of $34.13. Peabody also missed its latest earnings estimate, reporting a loss of $0.26 per share versus expectations for a profit.

Apis Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 310,000 shares of the coal producer's stock, valued at approximately $9,207,000. Peabody Energy comprises about 1.6% of Apis Capital Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Apis Capital Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.25% of Peabody Energy at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,625 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $78,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 17,838 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $530,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 24.0% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,487 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 27,849 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $827,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 11,078 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $329,000 after acquiring an additional 588 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.44% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Peabody Energy Stock Up 0.4%

BTU stock opened at $25.58 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $3.12 billion, a PE ratio of -25.84 and a beta of 0.36. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $26.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.96. Peabody Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $12.58 and a 52 week high of $41.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The coal producer reported ($0.26) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by ($0.40). Peabody Energy had a negative net margin of 3.07% and a negative return on equity of 2.80%. The company had revenue of $973.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $977.42 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.27 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Peabody Energy Corporation will post 0.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 8th. Shareholders 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 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 19th. Peabody Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently -30.30%.

Peabody Energy 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.

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