Cultivating Records at This Coal Giant

To know where Peabody Energy is headed, you need to know where it has been:
The coal industry in the United States has been in a state of flux since the arrival of a cheaper alternative for energy production: natural gas. Exports are becoming a much bigger part of the domestic coal landscape, and Peabody Energy has deals in place to get its cheaper coal from the Powder River and Illinois Basins to India, China, and the EU. For investors looking to capitalize on a rebound in the U.S. coal market, The Motley Fool has authored a special new premium report detailing exactly why Peabody Energy is perhaps most worthy of your consideration. Don't miss out on this invaluable resource -- simply click here now to claim your copy today.

The world's largest private sector coal company, Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU  ) , released its 2012 earnings this morning, much to the delight of the markets. What drove the stock up big today? Record revenues, for one. Couple that with tremendous news out of its Australian operations and record coal imports into China and you have a recipe for success in the coal industry. Long-term forecasts that came out late last year and earlier this year continue to expect heavy reliance on coal, especially in developing markets. Motley Fool analyst Taylor Muckerman dives deeper into the miner's earnings shaft in the video below.