Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Sets New 12-Month High - Here's Why

Key Points

• Peabody Energy shares reached a new 12-month high of $35.99, closing at $34.86, with a trading volume of nearly 8.8 million shares.
• Analysts have upgraded Peabody Energy's stock, with consensus ratings showing a "Moderate Buy" status and a price target of $25.20.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.075 per share, representing a 0.9% annual yield, and reported a decline in revenue of 14.6% year-over-year.

Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $35.99 and last traded at $34.86, with a volume of 8799699 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $33.42.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on BTU shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Peabody Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Peabody Energy from $17.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Peabody Energy in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, B. Riley lifted their price target on Peabody Energy from $18.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $25.20.

Peabody Energy Stock Up 4.3%

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 stock's 50 day moving average price is $21.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $16.57. The company has a market cap of $4.24 billion, a PE ratio of 33.84 and a beta of 0.67.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) last issued 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 business 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 revenue for the quarter was down 14.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.42 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Peabody Energy Corporation will post 2.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Peabody Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 14th were paid a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 14th. Peabody Energy's payout ratio is 29.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Peabody Energy

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BTU. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 29.8% during the first quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 501,160 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $6,791,000 after purchasing an additional 115,172 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in 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. purchased a new stake in Peabody Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $156,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda boosted its position in Peabody Energy by 77.1% during the 2nd quarter. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda now owns 30,000 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $403,000 after buying an additional 13,062 shares during the period. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 27,069 shares during the last quarter. 87.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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