Shares in Australian coal miner New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) are trading lower today after the company released its June quarter activities report.
The update outlined the production figures and preliminary financial performance for both the quarter and the 2025 financial year (FY25).
And it seems investors were underwhelmed with what they saw.
New Hope shares are changing hands at $4.31 at the time of writing, down by 5% from Friday's closing price of $4.54.
In comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is trading flat at the same time.
Let's find out what triggered the share price slide for this ASX 200 energy stock.
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Established coal producer
New Hope has grown to become a leading ASX 200 energy stock since its founding in 1952.
Its business is centred on coal mining and exploration, alongside associated port, oil and gas, and agricultural operations.
The company's flagship assets include its 80%-owned Bengalla coal mine in New South Wales and its New Acland coal mine in Queensland.
New Hope also counts Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Ltd (ASX: SOL) – one of Australia's most respected investment houses – amongst its major shareholders.
Production performance
New Hope produced 10.7 million tonnes of saleable coal in FY25 – within management's guidance and up by 18.1% on the prior year.
The result was driven by a standout performance at New Acland, where production surged by 179% year over year to more than 2,800 tonnes.
However, output at Bengalla slipped.
The mine produced about 7,900 tonnes of coal in FY25 – down by 2% year over year and below guidance.
This downtick stemmed from significant weather events in the Newcastle region during the fourth quarter.
In particular, flooding and heavy rain impacted mining operations and disrupted regional shipping and rail transport.
As a result, fourth-quarter coal production at Bengalla fell by 23% year over year, with coal sales also tumbling by 26%.
And these weaker volumes weighed on earnings for this ASX 200 energy stock.
Total underlying operating earnings (EBITDA) for the fourth quarter clocked in at $93.4 million, marking a 40% decline from three months prior.
In turn, New Hope delivered underlying EBITDA of $765.8 million in FY25 – down by 11% from FY24.
What else happened?
Like all miners, New Hope's earnings are heavily influenced by market coal prices.
And in this respect, the picture appears to be softer.
The ASX 200 energy stock achieved a realised selling price of $131.30 per tonne in the fourth quarter – down by 11% from three months earlier.
For the full year, New Hope recorded an average realised price of $157.10 per tonne. This equates to a 15% drop from FY24.
The company is now expected to shed more light on its performance when it reports its final results for FY25 in the coming weeks.
