Federated Hermes Inc. Acquires 31,107 Shares of Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU)

Key Points

• Federated Hermes Inc. significantly increased its stake in Peabody Energy Corporation by 1,335.6% during Q1, acquiring 31,107 additional shares for a total of 33,436 shares valued at approximately $453,000.
• Peabody Energy recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.075, representing a yield of 1.7%, with a payout ratio of 29.13%.
• The company's latest earnings report revealed a loss of $0.06 per share, missing analysts' expectations, along with a 14.6% decline in revenue year-over-year.

Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU - Free Report) by 1,335.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,436 shares of the coal producer's stock after acquiring an additional 31,107 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc.'s holdings in Peabody Energy were worth $453,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BTU. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in Peabody Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $15,352,000. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP grew its position in Peabody Energy by 30.4% during the 4th quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 1,543,915 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $32,330,000 after acquiring an additional 360,000 shares during the last quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Peabody Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,162,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Peabody Energy by 265.4% in the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 330,194 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $4,474,000 after buying an additional 239,826 shares during the period. Finally, PDT Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Peabody Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,515,000. 87.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Peabody Energy Stock Up 1.2%

NYSE BTU opened at $17.23 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.21, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a PE ratio of 16.73 and a beta of 0.53. Peabody Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $9.61 and a 12 month high of $29.94. The stock's 50 day moving average is $14.72 and its 200 day moving average is $14.41.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The coal producer reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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%. Peabody Energy's quarterly revenue was down 14.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.42 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Peabody Energy Corporation will post 2.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Benchmark dropped their price objective on Peabody Energy from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. UBS Group started coverage on Peabody Energy in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $14.00 target price for the company. B. Riley lowered their price objective on Peabody Energy from $27.00 to $19.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Peabody Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.60.

About Peabody Energy

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.

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