Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Stock Price Up 9.1% – What’s Next?

Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU) shares traded up 9.1% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $12.10 and last traded at $12.25. 2,700,377 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 14% from the average session volume of 3,156,720 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.23.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Benchmark lowered their price objective on Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. B. Riley reduced their price objective on shares of Peabody Energy from $27.00 to $19.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Peabody Energy from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $26.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 16th.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.55 billion, a PE ratio of 4.72 and a beta of 0.52. 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 business’s fifty day simple moving average is $14.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.05.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last announced its quarterly 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, equities research analysts expect 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. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 19th were given a $0.075 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 19th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.36%. Peabody Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 11.11%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Peabody Energy

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in shares of Peabody Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $15,352,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 113.5% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,350,855 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $28,287,000 after buying an additional 718,274 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,631,707 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $202,546,000 after buying an additional 540,219 shares in the last quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $8,565,000. Finally, Hudson Bay Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 30.4% in the 4th quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 1,543,915 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $32,330,000 after acquiring an additional 360,000 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.44% of the company’s stock.

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.