Benchmark Reiterates Buy Rating for SunCoke Energy (NYSE:SXC)

SunCoke Energy (NYSE:SXC)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reissued by equities researchers at Benchmark in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $12.00 target price on the energy company’s stock. Benchmark’s price target indicates a potential upside of 16.39% from the stock’s current price.

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of SunCoke Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th.

SunCoke Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE SXC traded up $0.18 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $10.31. 672,411 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 639,475. SunCoke Energy has a fifty-two week low of $6.71 and a fifty-two week high of $11.48. The firm has a market cap of $866.81 million, a PE ratio of 14.52 and a beta of 1.19. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $10.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 2.06 and a quick ratio of 1.05.

SunCoke Energy (NYSE:SXC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The energy company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.01. SunCoke Energy had a return on equity of 9.48% and a net margin of 2.97%. The firm had revenue of $488.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $549.40 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.19 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that SunCoke Energy will post 0.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at SunCoke Energy

In other SunCoke Energy news, CEO Michael G. Rippey sold 122,533 shares of SunCoke Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.11, for a total transaction of $1,361,341.63. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 521,073 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,789,121.03. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CEO Michael G. Rippey sold 78,714 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.06, for a total transaction of $870,576.84. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 342,359 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,786,490.54. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Michael G. Rippey sold 122,533 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.11, for a total transaction of $1,361,341.63. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 521,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,789,121.03. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 251,572 shares of company stock valued at $2,781,834. 1.73% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SunCoke Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SXC. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in SunCoke Energy in the third quarter valued at about $497,000. Strs Ohio grew its stake in shares of SunCoke Energy by 113.8% in the 3rd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 71,400 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $724,000 after buying an additional 38,000 shares in the last quarter. Yorktown Management & Research Co Inc acquired a new position in SunCoke Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $492,000. Advisor Partners II LLC bought a new position in SunCoke Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $102,000. Finally, Paulson Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in SunCoke Energy by 17.8% in the third quarter. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. now owns 14,387 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $146,000 after acquiring an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. 90.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About SunCoke Energy

SunCoke Energy, Inc operates as an independent producer of coke in the Americas and Brazil. The company operates through three segments: Domestic Coke, Brazil Coke, and Logistics. It offers metallurgical and thermal coal. The company also provides handling and/or mixing services to steel, coke, electric utility, coal producing, and other manufacturing based customers.