Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Sets New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Shares of Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU) reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $15.72 and last traded at $15.68, with a volume of 1925227 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.21.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BTU has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. 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 research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Benchmark dropped their target price on Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th.

Peabody Energy Stock Down 2.3 %

The business has a fifty day moving average of $19.25 and a 200 day moving average of $22.58. The firm has a market cap of $1.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.86 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last released 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 net margin of 8.75% and a return on equity of 10.33%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Peabody Energy Co. will post 2.34 EPS for the current year.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 19th will be issued a $0.075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 19th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.89%. Peabody Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.11%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peabody Energy

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 167.2% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,189 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 744 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Peabody Energy during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Peabody Energy during the third quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 63.3% during the fourth quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 1,755 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 680 shares during the period. 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.