Every day, the sun rises on Wall Street, and a plethora of professional analysts wake to issue new opinions on stocks. Here at the Fool, we use our "This Just In" column to examine some of these picks-- and the track records of the firm behind them -- so individuals can make better investing decisions.

In addition to following the pros, Motley Fool CAPS monitors the collective opinions of more than 130,000 members, many of whom demonstrate better investing insight than published analysts do.

Enough top-performing CAPS members have turned bullish on Patriot Coal (NYSE:PCX) recently to upgrade it from the three- and four-star rank it has held over the past year to the maximum five stars. A total of 590 members have given their opinion on Patriot Coal, with many offering analysis and commentary to explain their recent optimism.

Shares of Patriot Coal have been slashed amid slumping demand, as coal prices plunge far below last year's high of $140 a ton. As steel producers like United States Steel (NYSE:X) and AK Steel (NYSE:AKS) have cut production, coal miners like Patriot, CONSOL Energy (NYSE:CNX), and Arch Coal (NYSE:ACI) are adjusting to reality, working quickly to bring supplies in sync with consumption via production cuts of their own.

Despite slowing demand and new environmental hurdles facing miners like Patriot and Massey Energy (NYSE:MEE), many CAPS members find Patriot's valuation compelling, believing that coal will play a major role in the future growth of the world economy. Some also expect steel demand from emerging economies to resume in the near future, creating demand for metallurgical coal. And much of Patriot's production is sold to electric utilities, leading many investors to agree with Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) that coal will enjoy long-term demand as an energy source.

To see what the very best CAPS analysts are saying now about Patriot Coal -- and discover the other winning stocks they're picking -- head on over to CAPS and have a look. Unlike analysts, who reserve their opinions for paying clients, CAPS' insights are absolutely free.

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