Cloud Peak Energy (CLD) Coverage Begins as Market Perform at Howard Weil

Cloud Peak Energy (CLD) has been initiated today with coverage from the research analysts at Howard Weil.  Weil begins this new coverage of Cloud Peak Energy with an initial price target set at $24 and rates performance of CLD as “market perform.”  Weil noted they find current valuation of shares attractive but admitted that there are also other attractive buys amid a pullback in the United States coal industry.

Regarding Weil’s pullback note, a look to charts of CLD indicate so.  CLD entered 2011 strong after having a successful 2010 trading year, but have since encountered the aforementioned pullback.  CLD has been unable to post an intermediate new high since April 6th, 2011.

Cloud Peak Energy is slated to release their next earnings report on August 4th, 2011, and is estimated to post EPS of 44 cents.  Their last earnings report was released on August 4th, 2011, and announced EPS of 44 cents with revenue totaling $356.5 million which was up 14.7% year to year.  CLD is currently trading between its 50 & 200-day moving averages for the first time in quite some time and 2011 is currently a down year for the company.

Cloud Peak Energy Inc. is the third largest producer of coal in the U.S. and in the Powder River Basin, or PRB, based on our 2010 coal production of 95.3 million tons.  The company has market capitalization of $1,245,899,760 and 60,954,000 shares outstanding.  CLD has a 52-week high of $24.69 with the low being $13.01 dollars.