Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Given New $43.00 Price Target at B. Riley

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) had its price objective boosted by analysts at B. Riley from $38.00 to $43.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the coal producer’s stock. B. Riley’s price objective points to a potential upside of 21.53% from the company’s current price.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on BTU. UBS Group increased their target price on Peabody Energy from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Peabody Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Benchmark raised their target price on Peabody Energy from $23.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings raised Peabody Energy from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Peabody Energy from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $37.00.

Peabody Energy Price Performance

NYSE:BTU opened at $35.38 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.81 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.34. Peabody Energy has a 1-year low of $9.61 and a 1-year high of $39.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.30 billion, a PE ratio of -122.01 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Scott T. Jarboe sold 2,151 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.26, for a total transaction of $73,693.26. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 82,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,819,803.56. This trade represents a 2.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peabody Energy

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 104.3% in the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,006 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 1,024 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Peabody Energy by 57.7% in the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,229 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 816 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its stake in Peabody Energy by 763.4% in the third quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 1,131 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 48.5% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,353 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 768 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Peabody Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. 87.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Peabody Energy Company Profile

Peabody Energy Corporation is one of the world’s largest private-sector coal companies, engaged primarily in the production and sale of metallurgical and thermal coal. The company’s operations span surface and underground mines, serving utilities, steel mills and other industrial customers that rely on coal as an essential component in power generation and steelmaking. Peabody’s product portfolio includes high-energy thermal coal for electricity generation and low-volatile metallurgical coal used in steel production, reflecting its diverse end-market reach.

Founded in 1883, Peabody Energy has grown from a regional mining concern into a global energy supplier.