Category Archives: Materials

2022 Large Cap Performance Analysis

Large cap stocks, as measured by the Lark Research Large Cap Index (the “Index”)[1] which mirrors the S&P 500, posted a decline of 19.5% in 2022.  As in previous years, most of the performance was driven by a handful of … Continue reading

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2021 Market Outlook – Part 2: S&P 500 Sector Analysis

2020 was of course dominated by the impact of the pandemic on the economy and specifically on the revenues and profits of each of the S&P 500 constituents.  There was a sharp stock market sell-off in March-April, followed by a … Continue reading

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Arch Coal (ARCH) 18Q1 Results

Arch reported 18Q1 diluted EPS of $3.91, up from $2.75 in 17Q1 and well ahead of the consensus estimate of $2.71.  The gain in earnings came despite a 3.5% decline in revenues to $555.2 million, primarily because of lower expenses … Continue reading

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An Update on Arch Coal (ARCH)

Arch Coal emerged from bankruptcy on October 5, 2016 and recently filed its 2016 10-K which included its fourth quarter performance (Oct. 2 to Dec. 31) as a reorganized (i.e. successor) company. With its quick emergence from Chapter 11, substantial … Continue reading

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Arch Coal Post-Bankruptcy

On October 5, Arch Coal officially exited the bankruptcy process.  The exit came just short of nine months after it had filed for bankruptcy on January 11, 2016.  This was a remarkable achievement, given the company’s size, the large and … Continue reading

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Arch Coal Puts Its Bankruptcy Plan to a Vote

On July 6, the bankruptcy court approved Arch Coal’s Third Amended Bankruptcy Plan and Disclosure Statement. That set in motion the voting process which is scheduled to end on August 31. If there are no hitches and creditors vote in … Continue reading

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The Coal Industry Goes Bust

Very few industries have suffered a decline as steep as coal’s. In just five years, the coal industry has gone from relatively healthy to almost entirely bankrupt. Major coal producers – including Peabody Energy, Arch Coal, and Alpha Natural Resources … Continue reading

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