SunCoke Energy (NYSE:SXC) Stock Price Down 9.3% on Disappointing Earnings

SunCoke Energy, Inc. (NYSE:SXC)’s stock price fell 9.3% on Thursday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as low as $6.14 and last traded at $6.07. 223,015 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 1,619,819 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.69.

The energy company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.08 by ($0.13). SunCoke Energy had a negative net margin of 2.41% and a positive return on equity of 7.43%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.20 earnings per share.

SunCoke Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.7%. SunCoke Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -92.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered SunCoke Energy from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. B. Riley Financial decreased their price objective on SunCoke Energy from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $9.00.

Insider Activity

In other SunCoke Energy news, CFO Mark W. Marinko bought 10,000 shares of SunCoke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $5.84 per share, for a total transaction of $58,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 71,798 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $419,300.32. This represents a 16.18% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Phillip Michael Hardesty bought 12,500 shares of SunCoke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $5.83 per share, for a total transaction of $72,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 298,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,741,286.91. This trade represents a 4.37% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.66% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SunCoke Energy

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in SunCoke Energy by 544.8% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,992 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 2,528 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in SunCoke Energy by 69.4% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,831 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 1,569 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in SunCoke Energy by 44.9% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,256 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 1,318 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in SunCoke Energy by 190.0% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,132 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 2,707 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of SunCoke Energy by 176.2% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,615 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 3,582 shares during the period. 90.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

SunCoke Energy Trading Down 6.8%

The business has a fifty day moving average price of $6.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.04. The company has a market capitalization of $528.83 million, a PE ratio of -11.95 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 2.11.

SunCoke Energy Company Profile

SunCoke Energy, Inc is a leading independent producer of metallurgical coke and related products for the steel and foundry industries. The company specializes in manufacturing both blast furnace coke and foundry coke, offering high‐quality, low‐sulfur coal products that serve as essential inputs in steelmaking and metal casting processes. In addition to coke production, SunCoke provides comprehensive engineering, maintenance and environmental solutions tailored to the needs of integrated steel mills and foundries.

The company operates a network of coke production facilities across the United States, including plants in Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Louisiana.