Texas Capital initiated coverage of Alliance Resource Partners with a Buy rating and $30 price target. The company is the second-largest coal producer on the East Coast and operates a portfolio of seven coal mining complexes in the Illinois Basin and Appalachia, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Alliance's major differentiator has been its consistent operating margins, and while operating performance in the Appalachia segment has been slightly more volatile in recent years, margins are set to return closer to historical averages as operations at Tunnel Ridge improve in the coming quarters, the firm added.
