Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Shares Gap Down Following Weak Earnings

Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU) gapped down prior to trading on Thursday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $17.98, but opened at $17.22. Peabody Energy shares last traded at $17.01, with a volume of 984,346 shares.

The coal producer reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.25). Peabody Energy had a return on equity of 14.74% and a net margin of 12.24%.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 19th will be given a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.89%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 19th. Peabody Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in Peabody Energy by 167.2% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,189 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 744 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in Peabody Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Peabody Energy by 63.3% in the 4th quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 1,755 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 680 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Peabody Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 292.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,057 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 1,533 shares during the last quarter. 87.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $20.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.84. The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The company has a market capitalization of $1.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 0.95.

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.