Peabody Energy Corp (BTU) · Nov 4, 2026 · Earnings
Miss — EPS -$0.27 vs approximately -$0.05 consensus
Peabody earnings benefited from stronger seaborne coal pricing, but an EPS miss and lower Centurion and U.S. thermal guidance cloud the quarter.
Peabody is trying to shift its portfolio toward seaborne thermal and metallurgical coal while optimizing its U.S. thermal mines for cash generation. Against that backdrop, this quarter shows stronger seaborne pricing, but the operational recovery remains uneven and the U.S. thermal franchise is shrinking faster than expected.
The headline result missed the market’s earnings bar. Third-quarter revenue of $1.096 billion exceeded the published consensus of roughly $1.03 billion, but diluted EPS of $(0.27) was well below the approximately $(0.05) consensus loss. The GAAP loss improved from the prior year, but the earnings miss reflects how much the market had already expected from stronger coal pricing.
| Metric | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 | Consensus / prior guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue (Income Statement) | $1,096.3M | $1,012.1M | ~$1,030M |
| Diluted EPS (Income Statement) | $(0.27) | $(0.58) | ~$(0.05) |
| Adjusted EBITDA (Income Statement) | $97.5M | $99.5M | |
| Operating cash flow (Cash Flow statement) | $(1.4)M | $122.0M | |
| Seaborne metallurgical volume, FY 2026 (Guidance targets) | 8.9–9.1M tons | 8.8–10.3M tons | |
| PRB volume, FY 2026 (Guidance targets) | 76.5–78.5M tons | 82.0–88.0M tons |
Seaborne thermal is the clear bright spot. Shipments were 0.1 million tons above expectations, costs were in line, and segment Adjusted EBITDA rose to $65.5 million from $41.0 million a year earlier. Higher export pricing pushed realized revenue above $100 per ton, making this the part of the portfolio that is currently carrying the operating story.
The Centurion problem is now large enough to change the full-year setup. Metallurgical coal returned to positive quarterly EBITDA, but costs reached $162.45 per ton because of more severe geological faulting than expected. October production was only approximately 45,000 tons, and fourth-quarter Centurion sales are now expected at 0.3–0.5 million tons. 〔0〕 Management also pushed the next longwall move to the third quarter of 2027 and expects $6.5–$12 million of engineering spending.
The guidance reset is more important than the quarter’s pricing improvement. Full-year metallurgical volume was reduced by 0.6 million tons and expected costs increased by approximately $15 per ton; PRB volume was cut by approximately 7.5 million tons as U.S. coal burn weakened. Seaborne thermal export volume rose by 0.2 million tons, but that improvement does not offset the deterioration in metallurgical and U.S. thermal expectations.
Capital structure actions help, but they do not repair the operating miss. Peabody is redeeming the remaining $39.9 million of 2028 convertible notes for cash, which reduces potential dilution by approximately 4 million shares. The action is financially constructive, but it also consumes cash at a time when nine-month operating cash flow was only $27.2 million versus $265.1 million a year earlier.
Bottom line: Strong seaborne pricing improved the quarter, but it was not enough to overcome an earnings miss and another meaningful guidance reduction. The business is progressing in its higher-margin seaborne portfolio while Centurion and weaker U.S. coal demand keep the broader recovery off track.
Centurion’s next longwall move, expected Q3 2027
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