Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 48,612 Shares of Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. cut its stake in Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU) by 44.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 59,576 shares of the coal producer’s stock after selling 48,612 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Peabody Energy were worth $1,248,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BTU. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 144.2% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,951 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 2,333 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in Peabody Energy by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 327,601 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $6,860,000 after purchasing an additional 7,586 shares during the period. Elevate Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Peabody Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,889,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its position in Peabody Energy by 15.7% in the fourth quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 43,766 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $916,000 after acquiring an additional 5,940 shares during the period. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 52.1% in the 4th quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 57,800 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $1,210,000 after purchasing an additional 19,800 shares in the last quarter. 87.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Benchmark reduced their target price on Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. B. Riley cut 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group 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 Monday, January 6th.

Peabody Energy Price Performance

BTU stock opened at $12.89 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $13.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $19.45. Peabody Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $9.61 and a 1 year high of $29.94. The stock has a market cap of $1.57 billion, a PE ratio of 4.77 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The coal producer reported $0.28 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%. Equities analysts forecast that Peabody Energy Co. will post 2.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 19th. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.33%. Peabody Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.11%.

Peabody Energy Company Profile

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.