Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, coal producer Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Peabody's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Peabody facts

Headquarters (founded) St. Louis (1883)
Market Cap $6.8 billion
Industry Coal and consumable fuels
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $8.3 billion
Management Chairman/CEO Gregory Boyce
Vice President/CFO Michael Crews
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 17%
Cash/Debt $952.4 million / $6.7 billion
Dividend Yield 1.3%
Competitors Arch Coal
BHP Billiton
CONSOL Energy

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 96% of the 2,073 members who have rated Peabody believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.  

Just last week, one of those bulls, All-Star coryjobe, tapped the stock as a solid bargain opportunity:

Current pullback seems to be because of Energy as a whole, [Peabody's] world [exposure] sets them apart from the rest, their high prices in China has helped offset weak demand in the U.S. although the slowdown in the housing market is something to keep an eye on. If China goes into a recession this could also hurt [Peabody], but with a [P/E of 7] its tough not to buy.

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