XTX Topco Ltd Makes New Investment in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU)

Key Points

• XTX Topco Ltd acquired a significant new position in Peabody Energy during the first quarter, purchasing 44,787 shares valued at approximately $607,000.
• Peabody Energy recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.075 per share, representing an annualized yield of 1.7%.
• Analysts remain mixed on Peabody Energy's outlook, with target prices ranging from $14.00 to $23.00, while the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy."

XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 44,787 shares of the coal producer's stock, valued at approximately $607,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in Peabody Energy by 315.0% during the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,125 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,613 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 70.7% during the first quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 3,092 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 1,281 shares during the period. Byrne Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 84.9% in the first quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 3,245 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 1,490 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Garde Capital Inc. bought a new position in shares of Peabody Energy during the first quarter worth approximately $46,000. 87.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Peabody Energy Trading Down 4.1%

Shares of NYSE:BTU traded down $0.70 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $16.51. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,046,768 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,913,256. Peabody Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $9.61 and a fifty-two week high of $29.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.21. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $14.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.03 and a beta of 0.53.

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

Peabody Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 14th. Peabody Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on BTU shares. Benchmark lowered their price target on shares of Peabody Energy from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Peabody Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday. B. Riley lowered their target price on shares of Peabody Energy from $27.00 to $19.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on Peabody Energy in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $14.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Peabody Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $21.60.

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.