Company: Peabody Energy Corp

Shares of U.S. coal companies declined with lingering questions about the health of the Chinese economy and a potentially disastrous situation in Europe.

Shares of U.S. coal companies rose Monday as industry analysts concluded that an extended investor sell-off in the beleaguered industry has gone on for too long.

Peabody Energy Corp. is now able to lease 402 million tons of ultra-low sulfur coal reserves in Wyoming, after submitting a successful bid for control of the reserve area.

Shares of coal companies sank Tuesday after Patriot Coal Corp., a major producer, lowered its sales volume and price estimates for Appalachian metallurgical coal, citing a potential default by a customer it didn't identify.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It's the newest market riddle: where do you go for safety when the traditional option could be in a bubble?

Shares of Arch Coal Inc. and Consol Energy Inc. fell Wednesday after analysts lowered some of their ratings because of weak demand, as many utilities switch to cheaper natural gas to generate electricity.

A federal judge has rejected a coal company's objections over a union election at a southern Illinois mine, ordering Peabody Energy Corp. to halt what he called unfair labor practices at the site and to rehire a worker fired over the dispute.

Whitehaven Coal has agreed to take over Aston Resources and another miner in a $3 billion deal to create Australia's biggest independent coal miner, looking for scale as it taps into booming Asian coal demand.

Stocks finished in negative territory Tuesday amid worries over China's economic outlook and as investors took a breather following the recent market rally.

Stocks closed sharply lower Tuesday, with the Dow posting its first triple-digit decline in 2012, fueled by fears over a Greek default and amid economic growth concerns.

Whitehaven Coal has agreed to take over Aston Resources and another miner in a $3 billion deal to create Australia's biggest independent coal miner, looking for scale as it taps into booming Asian coal demand.

Stocks spiked in the final minutes of trading Wednesday following a report that the G20 is considering a $600 billion IMF lending program to euro zone, but came off their highs after the IMF denied the report. Investors were also closely waiting for the key EU summit at the end of the week.