UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Stock

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) had its price objective raised by stock analysts at UBS Group from $34.50 to $36.50 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the coal producer’s stock. UBS Group’s price target would suggest a potential downside of 7.44% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on BTU. B. Riley Financial raised their price objective on Peabody Energy from $38.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Peabody Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Peabody Energy from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Peabody Energy from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Peabody Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $38.88.

Peabody Energy Stock Up 5.4%

BTU stock traded up $2.00 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $39.43. 1,886,146 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,301,288. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $35.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.81. The stock has a market cap of $4.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -87.88 and a beta of 0.54. Peabody Energy has a fifty-two week low of $9.61 and a fifty-two week high of $41.14.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The coal producer reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.10 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. Peabody Energy had a negative return on equity of 0.93% and a negative net margin of 1.37%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Peabody Energy will post 2.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Peabody Energy

In related news, CAO Scott T. Jarboe sold 2,151 shares of Peabody Energy stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.26, for a total value of $73,693.26. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 82,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,819,803.56. This trade represents a 2.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Darren Ronald Yeates sold 13,892 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.40, for a total transaction of $505,668.80. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 113,440 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,129,216. This trade represents a 10.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peabody Energy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,625 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System increased its holdings in Peabody Energy by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 17,838 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $530,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 24.0% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,487 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 21.8% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,716 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 487 shares during the period. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its stake in Peabody Energy by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 27,849 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $827,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.44% of the company’s stock.

Peabody Energy Company Profile

Peabody Energy Corporation is one of the world’s largest private-sector coal companies, engaged primarily in the production and sale of metallurgical and thermal coal. The company’s operations span surface and underground mines, serving utilities, steel mills and other industrial customers that rely on coal as an essential component in power generation and steelmaking. Peabody’s product portfolio includes high-energy thermal coal for electricity generation and low-volatile metallurgical coal used in steel production, reflecting its diverse end-market reach.

Founded in 1883, Peabody Energy has grown from a regional mining concern into a global energy supplier.