Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU) Shares Purchased by GeoSphere Capital Management LLC

GeoSphere Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU) by 132.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 100,000 shares of the coal producer’s stock after purchasing an additional 56,929 shares during the period. Peabody Energy accounts for about 1.0% of GeoSphere Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. GeoSphere Capital Management LLC owned about 0.08% of Peabody Energy worth $2,094,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in Peabody Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $15,352,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 113.5% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,350,855 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $28,287,000 after purchasing an additional 718,274 shares during the period. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy during the fourth quarter worth $8,565,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 105.5% in the fourth quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 646,152 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $13,530,000 after purchasing an additional 331,759 shares during the period. Finally, PDT Partners LLC acquired a new position in Peabody Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $4,515,000. 87.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BTU opened at $14.23 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $12.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.73 billion, a PE ratio of 5.27 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.68. Peabody Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $9.61 and a 12 month high of $29.94.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The coal producer reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.20. Peabody Energy had a net margin of 8.75% and a return on equity of 10.33%. The firm had revenue of $937.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $976.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.30 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Peabody Energy Co. will post 2.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Peabody Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.11%. Peabody Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the company. B. Riley lowered their price target on Peabody Energy from $27.00 to $19.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Benchmark lowered their target price on shares of Peabody Energy from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday.

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.