Peabody Energy Ranked Number One Among St. Louis-Based Public Companies in Post-Dispatch Annual Report

ST. LOUIS, June 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) has been ranked number one among St. Louis-based public companies for profit growth, return on equity, revenue growth and total sales in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch 2009 Annual Report on public companies.

“Shrewd expansions overseas allowed Peabody Energy to take the number one spot in our yearly ranking of public companies,” the Post-Dispatch noted. Peabody has earned the number one rank twice in the past four years.

In 2008, Peabody delivered the safest year in its history and set new records in major financial measures, including 256 million tons in coal volume, $6.6 billion in revenues, $1.85 billion in EBITDA and $985 million in income from continuing operations. The company also reported record cash flows from operations and liquidity of more than $2 billion. Shares of BTU outpaced the S&P 500 year to date by more than 50 percent through June 12, 2009.

“Peabody’s record performance demonstrates the strength of our growing global platform and strong balance sheet to serve major demand epicenters in Asia,” said Peabody Energy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gregory H. Boyce. “As a result, our international earnings have grown from 1 percent of EBITDA in 2003 to more than 50 percent in 2008 as total earnings have dramatically increased.”

Peabody continues to expand to serve high-margin, emerging markets. The company completed a multi-year build-out of its Australian platform, for both metallurgical and thermal coal production. Peabody continues advancing multiple projects in China with major coal and energy companies as well as partnerships in Mongolia, which include the recently completed Peabody-Polo joint venture.

Globally, Peabody continues earning recognition for its strategic leadership and financial performance. The company ranked number five both for one-year and five-year growth in profits among the Fortune 500 companies in 2009, which positions Peabody among the top 1 percent of companies in the nation.

The company was also named to the top 20 for total shareholder return for the past five years with 19.3 percent annual compound growth rate (CAGR), compared with an average Fortune 500 CAGR of 0.3 percent during that time.

Also in 2008 the company earned dual Global Energy Awards, ranked among Fortune magazine’s Most Admired listing and placed 21st in the Forbes Platinum List of Best Big Companies.

Peabody Energy is the world’s largest private-sector coal company, with 2008 sales of 256 million tons and $6.6 billion in revenues. Its coal products fuel 10 percent of all U.S. electricity generation and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.

    CONTACT:
    Beth Sutton
    (928) 522-7008

SOURCE Peabody Energy