Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Posts Earnings Results

Key Points

• Peabody reported EPS of -$0.26 for the quarter, missing consensus of $0.07 by $0.33; the company recorded a negative net margin (−1.37%) and negative ROE while revenue rose 3.9% year‑over‑year.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.075 (annualized $0.30) on March 10, yielding 1.1% despite a payout ratio of −66.67%.
• Shares traded at $26.14 midday and analysts are mixed — the consensus is a Hold with an average target of $35.63 — and the COO recently sold 13,892 shares.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The coal producer reported ($0.26) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.07 by ($0.33), Briefing.com reports. Peabody Energy had a negative net margin of 1.37% and a negative return on equity of 0.93%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.27 EPS. Peabody Energy's revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Peabody Energy Price Performance

Shares of BTU traded down $0.39 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $26.14. 1,280,398 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,308,541. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 1.85. The stock has a market cap of $3.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -57.91 and a beta of 0.35. Peabody Energy has a 52 week low of $12.58 and a 52 week high of $41.14. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $32.13 and a 200-day moving average of $31.58.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were paid a $0.075 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Peabody Energy's payout ratio is presently -66.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on BTU. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Peabody Energy from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Peabody Energy from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Zacks Research raised shares of Peabody Energy from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen raised Peabody Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, B. Riley Financial downgraded Peabody Energy from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $42.00 to $30.00 in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $35.63.

Insider Transactions at Peabody Energy

In other news, COO Darren Ronald Yeates sold 13,892 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.40, for a total transaction of $505,668.80. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 113,440 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,129,216. This represents a 10.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Peabody Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,532,978 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $283,129,000 after acquiring an additional 306,187 shares during the last quarter. Progeny 3 Inc. boosted its stake in Peabody Energy by 0.5% during the second quarter. Progeny 3 Inc. now owns 3,916,934 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $52,565,000 after buying an additional 18,920 shares during the period. Sourcerock Group LLC bought a new position in Peabody Energy during the second quarter valued at $28,092,000. Forest Avenue Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 63.5% in the fourth quarter. Forest Avenue Capital Management LP now owns 1,174,262 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $34,876,000 after acquiring an additional 455,962 shares during the period. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 15.3% in the third quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 801,802 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $21,264,000 after acquiring an additional 106,321 shares during the period. 87.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Peabody Energy Company 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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