Market Data

SUGAR LAND--June 29, 2012--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Inexpensive natural gas, environmental regulations, reduced energy usage and high coal inventories at power plants are all factors that have had a negative impact on coal demand fundamentals in 2012. These factors are starting to impact capital expenditures at U.S. coal mines as a number of mine closures, production reductions and capital expenditure postponements have been announced by the nation's leading coal mining companies including Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU) (St. Louis, Missouri), Arch Coal Incorporated (NYSE:ACI) (St. Louis), Alpha Natural Resources Incorporated (NYSE:ANR) (Bristol, Virginia) and CONSOL Energy Incorporated (NYSE:CNX) (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).