Arch Coal Swings to Q1 Loss, but Raises 2010 Outlook (ACI)

By Dividend.com,  April 19, 2010, 09:03:31 AM EDT

Coal producer Arch Coal, Inc. ( ACI ) said Monday that it swung to a small first quarter loss, hurt by one-time items, as results fell short of analyst expectations.

The St. Louis-based company reported a first quarter net loss of $1.8 million, or 1 cent per share, compared with a profit of $30.6 million, or 21 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding one one-time items, adjusted profit was 3 cents per share.

Revenue rose 4.5% from last year, to $711.9 million.

On average, Wall Street analysts expected a higher adjusted profit of 8 cents per share, on larger revenue of $725 million.

Still, the company raised its full-year earnings forecast, citing improving demand for coal used in making steel.

Arch Coal shares fell 25 cents, or -1%, in premarket trading Monday.

The Bottom Line
Shares of ACI have a 1.38% dividend yield, based on Friday's closing stock price of $26.00. The stock has technical support in the $22-$24 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $28-$30 price levels. We would remain on the sidelines for now.

Arch Coal, Inc. ( ACI ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars.

Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .




The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.


This article appears in: Investing, Stocks

Referenced Stocks: ACI



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