Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Given New $30.00 Price Target at Benchmark

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Free Report) had its target price increased by Benchmark from $28.00 to $30.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. Benchmark currently has a buy rating on the coal producer's stock.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on BTU. B. Riley boosted their price objective on Peabody Energy from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 17th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Peabody Energy from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th.

Peabody Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of Peabody Energy stock traded up $0.21 on Friday, hitting $26.48. 2,308,043 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,987,502. Peabody Energy has a 52-week low of $20.21 and a 52-week high of $27.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market cap of $3.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.87 and a beta of 0.96. The firm's 50-day moving average is $24.19 and its 200 day moving average is $23.31.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The coal producer reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. Peabody Energy had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 15.35%. The firm's revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.80 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Peabody Energy will post 2.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Peabody Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 14th will be given a dividend of $0.075 per share. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.13%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 14th. Peabody Energy's payout ratio is 7.77%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BTU. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 11,390.0% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,149 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,139 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new stake in Peabody Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Peabody Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. Natixis grew its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 8,355.0% in the first quarter. Natixis now owns 1,691 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 1,671 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Peabody Energy during the second quarter valued at $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.44% of the company's stock.

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.