32,456 Shares in Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU) Purchased by Islay Capital Management LLC

Islay Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 32,456 shares of the coal producer’s stock, valued at approximately $680,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 167.2% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,189 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 744 shares in the last quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Peabody Energy by 63.3% in the fourth quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 1,755 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 680 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 144.2% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,951 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 2,333 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in shares of Peabody Energy by 120.2% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,289 shares of the coal producer’s stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 2,341 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 37.0% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 4,762 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $100,000 after acquiring an additional 1,286 shares during the period. 87.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

NYSE BTU opened at $10.44 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.68. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $14.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.55. The company has a market cap of $1.27 billion, a PE ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.94. Peabody Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $10.27 and a 1-year high of $29.94.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The coal producer reported $0.28 earnings per share 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%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Peabody Energy Co. will post 2.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Peabody Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 19th were paid a dividend of $0.075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 19th. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.87%. Peabody Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Benchmark dropped their price target on shares of Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Peabody Energy from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $26.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, December 16th.

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.