Warrior Met Coal (NYSE:HCC) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.29 EPS

Key Points

• Warrior Met reported EPS of $1.37 versus a consensus of $1.66 (missing by $0.29) and revenue of $458.6M versus $489.9M expected, although revenue was up 52.9% year‑over‑year.
• The company completed the Blue Creek mine ahead of schedule and on budget (~$1B) fully funded from operating cash with no funded debt, and delivered record quarterly production of 3.5M short tons and record sales of 3.0M short tons, shifting mix toward High‑Vol A.
• Q1 showed strained cash flow — operating cash flow -$12M and free cash flow -$92M after a $146M working‑capital build — but management reaffirmed 2026 guidance, expects FCF to turn positive later, and reported $364M of available liquidity amid potential inflation and geopolitical cost risks.

Warrior Met Coal (NYSE:HCC - Get Free Report) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.66 by ($0.29), FiscalAI reports. Warrior Met Coal had a return on equity of 2.71% and a net margin of 4.35%.The firm had revenue of $458.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $489.91 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.16) earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 52.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Warrior Met Coal's conference call:

• Completed the Blue Creek mine ahead of schedule and on budget (~$1 billion) and stated it was fully funded from operating cash without incurring funded debt, ending the project's construction phase.
• Achieved record quarterly production (3.5 million short tons) and record sales (3.0 million short tons), driving a 38–55% year-over-year volume increase and shifting the sales mix toward High-Vol A.
• Premium prices strengthened (PLV averaged $213/short ton, +17% q/q) due to Australian supply disruptions and Middle East freight pressures, which raised net selling prices but widened relativities and reduced gross price realization to 72%.
• Q1 operating cash flow was -$12 million and free cash flow was -$92 million after a $146 million working capital build (higher receivables and inventory); management expects FCF to turn positive later in the year.
• Management reaffirmed its 2026 guidance and reported $364 million of available liquidity, while cautioning about possible inflationary cost pressures (diesel, materials) and geopolitical uncertainty that could modestly raise cash costs per ton.

Warrior Met Coal Price Performance

HCC stock traded up $0.05 during trading on Thursday, hitting $90.08. The stock had a trading volume of 893,536 shares, compared to its average volume of 727,642. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 3.19 and a quick ratio of 2.27. Warrior Met Coal has a twelve month low of $40.80 and a twelve month high of $105.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 82.65 and a beta of 0.67. The company's 50-day moving average price is $88.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $84.69.

Warrior Met Coal Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 7th. Investors of record on Friday, May 1st will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 1st. Warrior Met Coal's payout ratio is presently 29.36%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Warrior Met Coal

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its holdings in Warrior Met Coal by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 7,678 shares of the company's stock worth $677,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Warrior Met Coal by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 13,213 shares of the company's stock worth $1,165,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Warrior Met Coal by 272.1% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 413 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Warrior Met Coal by 20.2% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,874 shares of the company's stock worth $166,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in Warrior Met Coal by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 48,341 shares of the company's stock worth $2,215,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares in the last quarter. 92.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on HCC shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Warrior Met Coal from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, February 15th. Zacks Research raised shares of Warrior Met Coal from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Warrior Met Coal from $95.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Warrior Met Coal from $80.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Warrior Met Coal in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Warrior Met Coal presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $103.40.

Warrior Met Coal Company Profile

Warrior Met Coal NYSE: HCC is a leading producer of premium metallurgical coal, operating deep underground mining complexes in Central Alabama's Blue Creek and Brookwood mining districts. The company focuses exclusively on the extraction and sale of high-grade hard coking coal, a critical raw material used in steel production. Its mining operations harness longwall mining technology and rigorous safety protocols to deliver consistent coal quality to customers worldwide.

Warrior Met Coal's product portfolio centers on premium hard coking coal, semisoft coking coal, and pulverized coal injection (PCI) products.

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