Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Price Target Raised to $27.00 at UBS Group

Key Points

• UBS Group raised its price target for Peabody Energy from $17.00 to $27.00, while maintaining a "neutral" rating on the stock.
• Other analysts are optimistic as well, with four giving a Buy rating, contributing to a current consensus price target of $25.20.
• In its latest earnings report, Peabody Energy posted a loss of ($0.06) EPS, missing analysts' expectations and marking a 14.6% revenue decline year-over-year.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by stock analysts at UBS Group from $17.00 to $27.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "neutral" rating on the coal producer's stock. UBS Group's price objective would suggest a potential downside of 16.80% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on BTU. Wall Street Zen upgraded Peabody Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Peabody Energy in a report on Saturday, September 27th. Finally, B. Riley raised their price target on Peabody Energy from $18.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $25.20.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

BTU traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $32.45. 1,888,699 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,872,460. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 2.21 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market cap of $3.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.44 and a beta of 0.67. Peabody Energy has a 12 month low of $9.61 and a 12 month high of $33.28. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $20.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $15.93.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $944.27 million. Peabody Energy had a net margin of 3.43% and a return on equity of 4.41%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 14.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.42 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Peabody Energy will post 2.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Peabody Energy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its position in Peabody Energy by 29.8% during the 1st quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 501,160 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $6,791,000 after acquiring an additional 115,172 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 8.5% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,518,351 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $20,574,000 after buying an additional 118,307 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $156,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda increased its position in Peabody Energy by 77.1% in the 2nd quarter. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda now owns 30,000 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $403,000 after buying an additional 13,062 shares during the period. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its position in Peabody Energy by 145.1% in the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 45,725 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $620,000 after buying an additional 27,069 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.44% of the company's stock.

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.

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