Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Stock Price Up 5.2% – What’s Next?

Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU) was up 5.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $13.67 and last traded at $13.58. Approximately 1,319,841 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 52% from the average daily volume of 2,774,660 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.90.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on BTU. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. BMO Capital Markets raised Peabody Energy from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $26.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Benchmark dropped their target price on shares of Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.15. The stock has a market cap of $1.56 billion, a PE ratio of 4.79 and a beta of 0.94. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $16.80 and its 200 day moving average is $21.56.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The coal producer reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.25). Peabody Energy had a net margin of 8.75% and a return on equity of 10.33%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Peabody Energy Co. will post 2.61 EPS for the current year.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 19th were paid a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 19th. Peabody Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.11%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Peabody Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,162,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,742,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in Peabody Energy by 11.9% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 162,948 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $3,412,000 after acquiring an additional 17,335 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC raised its position in Peabody Energy by 187.6% in the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 35,081 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $735,000 after acquiring an additional 22,884 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming lifted its holdings in Peabody Energy by 51.3% in the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 36,559 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $766,000 after acquiring an additional 12,403 shares during the period. 87.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.