By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, Mo. – High debt costs have resulted in lower profits for St. Louis-based Peabody Energy.
The world's biggest private sector coal company still beat Wall Street expectations when it announced third-quarter earnings today, driving up its stock price. The earnings are down 77% from a year ago.
Peabody says profits were pinched by debt and interest costs associated with the recent purchase of the Australian mining company Excel Coal.
Chief Executive Gary Boyce says the Excel purchase will put Peabody on better footing in the future to sell coal in growing international markets.