Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ:ARLP) Shares Sold by HighTower Advisors LLC

HighTower Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ:ARLP) by 11.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 131,078 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 17,240 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC owned 0.10% of Alliance Resource Partners worth $3,446,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Progeny 3 Inc. grew its stake in shares of Alliance Resource Partners by 3.4% during the third quarter. Progeny 3 Inc. now owns 2,904,181 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $72,605,000 after purchasing an additional 96,780 shares in the last quarter. Recurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Alliance Resource Partners by 6.2% in the third quarter. Recurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,145,145 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $28,629,000 after acquiring an additional 66,761 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Alliance Resource Partners during the fourth quarter worth about $14,564,000. GraniteShares Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Alliance Resource Partners during the fourth quarter worth about $2,493,000. Finally, Optimist Retirement Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Alliance Resource Partners by 1.8% during the third quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC now owns 93,462 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $2,337,000 after purchasing an additional 1,691 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.11% of the company’s stock.

Alliance Resource Partners Stock Performance

NASDAQ ARLP opened at $26.68 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 2.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. has a 52-week low of $19.65 and a 52-week high of $30.56. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $26.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $26.05. The firm has a market cap of $3.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.67 and a beta of 1.09.

Alliance Resource Partners (NASDAQ:ARLP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 3rd. The energy company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by ($0.38). Alliance Resource Partners had a return on equity of 19.09% and a net margin of 14.74%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. will post 2.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Alliance Resource Partners Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.49%. Alliance Resource Partners’s payout ratio is currently 101.45%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $29.00 price objective (up previously from $27.00) on shares of Alliance Resource Partners in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. StockNews.com lowered Alliance Resource Partners from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Singular Research lowered Alliance Resource Partners from a “strong-buy” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 2nd.

Insider Activity at Alliance Resource Partners

In related news, SVP Timothy J. Whelan sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.13, for a total value of $1,256,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 93,850 shares in the company, valued at $2,358,450.50. This trade represents a 34.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 16.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Alliance Resource Partners

Alliance Resource Partners, L.P., a diversified natural resource company, produces and markets coal primarily to utilities and industrial users in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Illinois Basin Coal Operations, Appalachia Coal Operations, Oil & Gas Royalties, and Coal Royalties.