Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Sets New 12-Month Low - What's Next?

Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $12.05 and last traded at $12.11, with a volume of 2486383 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $13.29.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on BTU shares. Benchmark lowered their price objective on shares of Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised Peabody Energy from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $26.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 16th.

Peabody Energy Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $20.27. The stock has a market cap of $1.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.14 and a beta of 0.52.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The coal producer reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.25). Peabody Energy had a return on equity of 10.33% and a net margin of 8.75%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Peabody Energy Co. will post 2.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 19th were given a dividend of $0.075 per share. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 19th. Peabody Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 11.11%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Peabody Energy

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Peabody Energy by 167.2% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,189 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 744 shares during the period. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Peabody Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 680 shares during the period. Altshuler Shaham Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 45.0% in the 4th quarter. Altshuler Shaham Ltd now owns 2,900 shares of the coal producer's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 900 shares during the period. Finally, Natixis bought a new stake in Peabody Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $67,000. 87.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.