Alliance Resource Partners (NASDAQ:ARLP) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at StockNews.com

Alliance Resource Partners (NASDAQ:ARLP) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on ARLP. Singular Research downgraded Alliance Resource Partners from a “strong-buy” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $29.00 price objective (up from $27.00) on shares of Alliance Resource Partners in a research report on Tuesday.

Alliance Resource Partners Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of ARLP opened at $27.98 on Wednesday. Alliance Resource Partners has a 52-week low of $18.32 and a 52-week high of $30.56. The company has a market capitalization of $3.58 billion, a PE ratio of 7.95 and a beta of 1.16. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $26.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $25.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 2.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

Alliance Resource Partners (NASDAQ:ARLP) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The energy company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by ($0.38). Alliance Resource Partners had a return on equity of 23.74% and a net margin of 18.52%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Alliance Resource Partners will post 3.19 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Timothy J. Whelan sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.00, for a total transaction of $280,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 157,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,422,488. This trade represents a 5.95 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 16.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alliance Resource Partners

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ARLP. Atlanta Consulting Group Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Alliance Resource Partners during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,144,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Alliance Resource Partners during the 4th quarter valued at about $14,564,000. Progeny 3 Inc. boosted its holdings in Alliance Resource Partners by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Progeny 3 Inc. now owns 2,904,181 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $72,605,000 after acquiring an additional 96,780 shares during the period. GraniteShares Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Alliance Resource Partners during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,493,000. Finally, Recurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Alliance Resource Partners by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter. Recurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,145,145 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $28,629,000 after acquiring an additional 66,761 shares during the period. 18.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Alliance Resource Partners

Alliance Resource Partners, L.P., a diversified natural resource company, produces and markets coal primarily to utilities and industrial users in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Illinois Basin Coal Operations, Appalachia Coal Operations, Oil & Gas Royalties, and Coal Royalties.