How Do I Choose the Best Coal IPO?

Although it is impossible to predict the precise movement of the stock market, investing in energy stocks, including a coal initial public offering (IPO), could prove the most rewarding when fossil fuel prices are rising. When coal prices are moving higher, producers and transporters of the resource are more profitable, and this is often reflected in the value of a stock. Finding an open door into a coal investment early through a coal IPO requires some research and knowledge about how the coal industry works.

In choosing an IPO, review any reports issued by the financial analyst community associated with coal stocks. Analysts are in the business of projecting future economic conditions and may place estimates on the price of coal for the next several years. When it appears that coal prices will rise, more coal IPOs may come to market, which gives investors more opportunities to choose from.

At a time when consolidation has taken grip of an industry and mergers and acquisitions are being done, particularly cash transactions, it can send stocks in the entire group higher. Investing in a coal IPO when companies are putting money to work in cash deals can lead to profits. Of course, the company being invested in should have a strong pipeline of its own projects for the future; it's not enough just to ride the tide of sentiment in the sector because that mood can shift. As is the case with most all-new issues, if profitability has not yet been attained, there should be a clear road map outlining a company's timeline for when profits will be earned.

The U.S., Russia, and China have some of the largest coal reserves in the world. Coal-producing countries not only use the resource to satisfy some domestic energy needs, but they also export coal to other places. Although China is one of the leading nations for coal, the country, which is considered an emerging market, continues to import coal from other countries, such as Mongolia, because of demand. Selecting a coal IPO from a country that is exporting coal to emerging markets such as China could lead to a profitable, long-term investment. Leading coal companies may not only list shares in domestic markets but also overseas in other countries' stock markets.

Alternative energy is a cleaner form of power production in comparison with coal. Traditional energy companies remain an important part of the world's energy consumption, including coal production. Clean coal uses technologies, including coal gasification, that release fewer emissions into the environment to produce energy, and it is practiced in the U.S. and around the world. Selecting a coal IPO that includes clean coal production as part of the business model may be a wise way to prepare for the future of energy production worldwide.