Benchmark Cuts Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) Price Target to $36.00

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) had its price target reduced by analysts at Benchmark from $40.00 to $36.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the coal producer’s stock. Benchmark’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 66.71% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on BTU. UBS Group lowered their price target on Peabody Energy from $32.00 to $30.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. B. Riley Financial cut their price objective on Peabody Energy from $30.00 to $29.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings cut Peabody Energy from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research raised Peabody Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $34.88.

Peabody Energy Stock Performance

Shares of BTU stock traded up $0.78 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $21.59. The company had a trading volume of 1,827,526 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,311,539. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $24.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.60. Peabody Energy has a one year low of $14.25 and a one year high of $41.14. The firm has a market cap of $2.63 billion, a PE ratio of -21.90 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.87.

Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The coal producer reported ($0.74) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.31) by ($0.43). Peabody Energy had a negative net margin of 3.07% and a negative return on equity of 2.80%. The company had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.23) EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Peabody Energy will post 0.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BTU. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Peabody Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Peabody Energy by 104.3% during the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,006 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,024 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Peabody Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Peabody Energy by 1,513.7% in the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,178 shares of the coal producer’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Group LTD bought a new stake in Peabody Energy in the first quarter worth $50,000. 87.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Peabody Energy News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Peabody Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Peabody declared a quarterly dividend of $0.075 per share, payable September 3 to shareholders of record August 12. The dividend signals continued capital returns and offers an annualized yield of roughly 1.4%. Peabody Board Declares Dividend on Common Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Management said Centurion is advancing toward targeted production rates. A gradual ramp-up could improve second-half results, with the mine expected to contribute higher-quality, low-cost hard-coking coal and potentially lift seaborne metallurgical earnings. Peabody Energy: Slow Ramp-Up Of Centurion
• Neutral Sentiment: B. Riley lowered its price target from $30 to $29 and maintained a Neutral rating. The target still implies material upside from recent trading levels, but the reduction reflects continued uncertainty surrounding execution and earnings. B. Riley Price Target Update
• Negative Sentiment: Peabody reported a second-quarter loss of $0.74 per share, wider than the $0.31 consensus loss and the $0.23 loss a year earlier. Revenue rose 12.7% year over year to approximately $1.0 billion but was slightly below expectations. Lower metallurgical-coal volumes and the slow Centurion ramp-up weighed on profitability and triggered the sharp move lower in the shares. Peabody Reports Second-Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced or promoted securities-fraud class actions alleging that Peabody and certain executives misled investors about Centurion’s equipment problems, production capabilities and 2026 guidance. The litigation creates legal and reputational risk, although the allegations have not been proven. The lead-plaintiff deadline is August 24, 2026. Peabody Securities Class Action Announcement

About Peabody Energy

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.