Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Trading 5.8% Higher - Time to Buy?

Shares of Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) were up 5.8% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $17.69 and last traded at $17.72. Approximately 1,226,614 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 63% from the average daily volume of 3,307,505 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.74.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on BTU shares. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Peabody Energy from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $26.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, December 16th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Benchmark lowered their target price on Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

The stock's 50 day moving average price is $19.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a market capitalization of $1.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.01 and a beta of 0.95.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The coal producer reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.25). Peabody Energy had a return on equity of 10.33% and a net margin of 8.75%. Analysts expect that Peabody Energy Co. will post 2.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Peabody Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.075 per share. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 19th. Peabody Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.11%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peabody Energy

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new stake in Peabody Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $389,000. PDT Partners LLC bought a new stake in Peabody Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $4,515,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in Peabody Energy by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,620,897 shares of the coal producer's stock valued at $33,942,000 after acquiring an additional 33,742 shares during the period. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Peabody Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Peabody Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $3,474,000. 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.