Most publicly traded U.S. coal companies fell short of analysts’ earnings projections in the fourth quarter of 2020, with a majority recording losses during the period.
Expectations were low going into the fourth quarter, with analysts projecting that most U.S. coal producers would report a loss in earnings and that only three would record positive EPS. An S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis of consensus estimates yielded operating EPS projections ranging from a loss of $2.98 to a profit of $1.62.
Only Alliance Resource Partners LP and Consol Energy Inc. reported positive EPS in the period. Alliance was also among the only producers that outperformed analyst estimates during the quarter, along with Alpha Metallurgical Resources.
“Despite the disruptions encountered during the year, our teams performed at the highest levels across the entire organization, including our coal mines delivering the best safety record in the history of Alliance,” Alliance President and CEO Joseph Craft said during a Feb. 1 earnings call.
The Oklahoma-based producer posted fourth-quarter 2020 EPS of 27 cents, beating consensus forecasts by 3.8%.
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