James River Coal: Assessing The Risk Of Bankruptcy [View article]
Thanks for the article.
Met coal pricing isn't very transparent, but since February steel and met coal stocks (thinking WLT, AKS, X, JRCC, ANR) have been on a slide. We can infer that its not looking too good for met coal prices.
That is a double whammy for a company that reorganized extensively towards met, anthracite, & illinois basin thermal last year. I don't think the recent bounce in CAPP thermal pricing helps them very much. I'd steer clear of this one.
Mr. Romney And Coal: An Inconvenient Chart [View article]
Expectations of improvement in the industry should have a bullish impact on the CAPP mining stocks. Do you think if Romney's chances continue to improve over the next week or two it will be a good test as to whether or not investors agree?
Mr. Romney And Coal: An Inconvenient Chart [View article]
Thanks for the comments.
I keep thinking about whether it is cost-effective for the operator of an Appalachian bit coal plant built in the 50s or 60s to invest in the upgrades. Data in the previous article I wrote on EPA regs suggests probably not. That's not an enormous effect in terms of capacity but it is fairly immediate and should be rough on the marginal CAPP producers -- before even thinking about current natural gas prices.
Interesting points on NGVs and CO2 regs. I'm looking forward to seeing how the expectations play out this week.
Why Natural Gas Has Not Lifted Coal Stocks [View article]
My back-of-the-envelope calculation is that ACI gets about 35% of its revenue from met, that is based on 7.5 million tons @$200 relative to annualized Q2 revenue.
Why Natural Gas Has Not Lifted Coal Stocks [View article]
I haven't researched this either but I will elaborate on rockyrocky's guess:
Shale gas wells have exponentially declining production curves because the extraction works through shale surface area. Plus, all the capex (what with the drilling and the piping and the explosives and the wellhead) is up front. After that, it is gas on tap. Plus, capital costs today are as low as they can get.
So you drill, baby, drill. And then next year's contract prices drop below your linear EUR break-even costs, but you keep drilling because everyone has exponential decline rates and you are playing the long game. Your capital costs are so low you can shut in your well and bide your time, so drill some more.
Feedback doesn't work through price, you have to watch your competitors. That would explain historic instability of natural gas prices. All those operators planning to build gas plants may be in for a surprise.
Value Plays And Traps In The Coal Space [View article]
Thanks Seth I enjoyed the article. I concur about ANR -- hard to estimate the "real" book.
I wish I could share your bullish attitude about steel demand and IO prices. The new Chinese government will care about economic growth but I'm not sure they'll continue the infrastructure and see-through-high-rise mania.
On IO prices take your observation about FMG's ramp-up and look at this graph: http://bit.ly/QCxuSO
OK a look at the cash flow statement, and it looks like depreciation is perennially running higher than peers, and they are lean on PPE/revenue before the Massey purchase and after Q2, so maybe there is front-loaded depreciation to the tune of about 100M/Q.
Toss in 100M, exclude one-times and the operating margins are still terrible. Low Cap Ex suggests many of their mines are far from profitable in this market. I can't see it.
I'm curious, how do the ANR longs talk through the income statements?
The operating margins are terrible even ignoring one-time charges. Its a pricey shop with relatively expensive inputs, enough to scare me away. I'd think you'd have to be banking on some kind of miraculous turnaround.
New EPA Regulations Not Driving Coal Demand [View article]
Thanks all for the feedback.
I like ACI because it has large mines in most of the regions, posts pretty good margins, and has termed out its debt. I think it will pull through these tough times intact and is priced at a discount. I have a long time horizon and think coal is mauled pretty badly but not dead -- it has a few cycles left. That said, there is probably no great rush to accumulate shares.
CNX is an interesting company, I thought its NG exposure makes it a little agnostic to this topic. I'd have to explore it further.
I read SA a lot and wouldn't follow Mr. A's advice but agree the entertainment value of his articles is tops.
The Economics Of Syngas-To-Liquids, Part II [View article]
Tristan, thank you for the interesting read. I think one challenge is the 'synfuel' must have a substantial inherent cost advantage over the 'syngas' input.
Otherwise the profit margin will decay to nothing over time.
James River Coal: Assessing The Risk Of Bankruptcy [View article]
Met coal pricing isn't very transparent, but since February steel and met coal stocks (thinking WLT, AKS, X, JRCC, ANR) have been on a slide. We can infer that its not looking too good for met coal prices.
That is a double whammy for a company that reorganized extensively towards met, anthracite, & illinois basin thermal last year. I don't think the recent bounce in CAPP thermal pricing helps them very much. I'd steer clear of this one.
Risk Update For 3 Coal Companies [View article]
Liquidity has improved at both ACI and ANR.
Long ACI.
Return To Bretton Woods: Economic and Investment Implications [View article]
Mr. Romney And Coal: An Inconvenient Chart [View article]
Mr. Romney And Coal: An Inconvenient Chart [View article]
I keep thinking about whether it is cost-effective for the operator of an Appalachian bit coal plant built in the 50s or 60s to invest in the upgrades. Data in the previous article I wrote on EPA regs suggests probably not. That's not an enormous effect in terms of capacity but it is fairly immediate and should be rough on the marginal CAPP producers -- before even thinking about current natural gas prices.
Interesting points on NGVs and CO2 regs. I'm looking forward to seeing how the expectations play out this week.
Why Natural Gas Has Not Lifted Coal Stocks [View article]
Do you have information I don't have?
Why Natural Gas Has Not Lifted Coal Stocks [View article]
I can't imagine they had any active met mines last quarter since their gross profit was essentially $0
Why Natural Gas Has Not Lifted Coal Stocks [View article]
Shale gas wells have exponentially declining production curves because the extraction works through shale surface area.
Plus, all the capex (what with the drilling and the piping and the explosives and the wellhead) is up front. After that, it is gas on tap.
Plus, capital costs today are as low as they can get.
So you drill, baby, drill. And then next year's contract prices drop below your linear EUR break-even costs, but you keep drilling because everyone has exponential decline rates and you are playing the long game. Your capital costs are so low you can shut in your well and bide your time, so drill some more.
Feedback doesn't work through price, you have to watch your competitors. That would explain historic instability of natural gas prices. All those operators planning to build gas plants may be in for a surprise.
Value Plays And Traps In The Coal Space [View article]
I wish I could share your bullish attitude about steel demand and IO prices. The new Chinese government will care about economic growth but I'm not sure they'll continue the infrastructure and see-through-high-rise mania.
On IO prices take your observation about FMG's ramp-up and look at this graph:
http://bit.ly/QCxuSO
Massive Cyclicals Euphoria [View article]
Toss in 100M, exclude one-times and the operating margins are still terrible. Low Cap Ex suggests many of their mines are far from profitable in this market. I can't see it.
Am I missing something? Whence EPS?
Massive Cyclicals Euphoria [View article]
The operating margins are terrible even ignoring one-time charges. Its a pricey shop with relatively expensive inputs, enough to scare me away. I'd think you'd have to be banking on some kind of miraculous turnaround.
New EPA Regulations Not Driving Coal Demand [View article]
I like ACI because it has large mines in most of the regions, posts pretty good margins, and has termed out its debt. I think it will pull through these tough times intact and is priced at a discount. I have a long time horizon and think coal is mauled pretty badly but not dead -- it has a few cycles left. That said, there is probably no great rush to accumulate shares.
CNX is an interesting company, I thought its NG exposure makes it a little agnostic to this topic. I'd have to explore it further.
I read SA a lot and wouldn't follow Mr. A's advice but agree the entertainment value of his articles is tops.
The Economics Of Syngas-To-Liquids, Part II [View article]
Otherwise the profit margin will decay to nothing over time.
What We've Sold, What We Own, Where We Stand [View article]