BTU PEABODY ENERGY CORP

NYSE Bituminous Coal & Lignite Surface Mining DE CIK: 0001064728
AI RATING
STRONG_SELL
85% Confidence

Investment Thesis

Peabody Energy exhibits severe operational distress with negative net income (-$32.4M) and catastrophic free cash flow (-$381.4M) despite massive revenue growth, indicating unsustainable capex spending relative to profitability. The company is burning substantial cash while operating at loss margins across all profitability metrics, coupled with secular headwinds in the declining coal sector.

Strengths

  • + Strong balance sheet with low leverage (Debt/Equity of 0.09x)
  • + Healthy liquidity position (Current Ratio 1.87x, Quick Ratio 1.37x)
  • + Adequate cash reserves ($492.5M) providing runway

Risks

  • ! Negative free cash flow of -$381.4M indicating severe cash burn relative to operations
  • ! Unprofitable operations with negative operating income (-$44.2M) and contracting net income (-24.5% YoY decline)
  • ! Unsustainable capital expenditure ($411.4M) far exceeding operating cash flow ($30.0M)
  • ! Secular decline in coal demand and energy transition headwinds
  • ! All profitability metrics negative (Operating Margin -4.5%, Net Margin -3.3%, ROE -0.9%, ROA -0.6%)

Key Metrics to Watch

Financial Metrics

Revenue
973.3M
Net Income
-32.4M
EPS (Diluted)
$-0.27
Free Cash Flow
-381.4M
Total Assets
5.7B
Cash
492.5M

Profitability Ratios

Gross Margin N/A
Operating Margin -4.5%
Net Margin -3.3%
ROE -0.9%
ROA -0.6%
FCF Margin -39.2%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Current Ratio
1.87x
Quick Ratio
1.37x
Debt/Equity
0.09x
Debt/Assets
38.0%
Interest Coverage
-4.13x
Long-term Debt
320.9M
Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI based on publicly available SEC EDGAR filings. It does not include stock price data and should not be considered financial advice. All fundamental data is sourced from SEC public domain filings. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
Data Source: SEC EDGAR | Analysis Date: 2026-05-07T08:15:14.836187 | Data as of: 2026-03-31 | Powered by Claude AI