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CNRCore Natural Resources, Inc.Sell5.4·$86.96
SellModerate Confidence
Investment thesis

Core Natural Resources offers an optically cheap forward price-to-earnings of 12.9x, but a business quality score of 2.3 well below the minimum threshold, an earnings track record averaging a -41.5% quarterly surprise, 68% customer concentration in a single end-market, and an unfavorable risk/reward ratio of 0.87 make the valuation screen a potential trap rather than an opportunity.

Thesis pillars

  • Electric Power Customer Concentration↑Improving
  • Quality Below Minimum Floor→Stable
  • Erratic Earnings Surprise History→Stable
  • +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning

Pillars as of Jul 3, 2026, based on the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026

Full reasoning →

Open full analysis

Core Natural Resources, Inc. (CNR) Stock Analysis

SellVALUE-TRAP 1/5ValueGrowthModerate Confidence

Energy · Thermal Coal

Earnings in 5 days (2026-11-05). Expect elevated volatility around the report — consider waiting for post-earnings price action before new entries.

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $86.96: Quality below floor (3.6 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.4/10. Specifically: Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum; Below long-term trend.

Core Natural Resources produces metallurgical and thermal coals from mining complexes in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Colorado following its January 2025 all-stock merger with Arch Resources. The company sells coal to electric power generators (73% of 2025 sales... Read more

$86.96+8.0% A.UpsideScore 5.4/10#3 of 4 Thermal Coal
QualityF-score7 / 9FCF yield6.34%
IncomeYield0.46%Payout20.20%sustainable
Stop $83.40Analyst target $93.92(−15% haircut)A.R:R 1.1:1
Analyst consensus$110.50+27.1%4 analysts
$93.92Analyst target
$86.96price
$110.50mean
$122

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $86.96: Quality below floor (3.6 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.4/10. Specifically: Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum; Below long-term trend. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Score 5.4/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 4/7 gates (clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum and favorable risk/reward ratio and earnings proximity 5d<=7d. Suitability: aggressive.

TrendMatrix Research · upcoming catalyst calendar

Upcoming dated catalysts

Thu, Nov 5, 20265d to earnings· next earnings call

Thesis

Rewards
No bull case signals
Risks
Concentration risk — Customer: U.S. electric power generators (68.0%)
Quality below floor (3.6 < 4.0)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)44.0
P/E (Fwd)13.4
Mkt Cap$4.3B
EV/EBITDA7.8
Profit Mgn2.3%
ROE2.7%
Rev Growth3.5%
Beta0.25
Dividend0.46%
Rating analysts9

Quality Signals

Piotroski F7/9

Options Flow

P/C0.82neutral
IV57%elevated

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • HIGHCustomerU.S. electric power generators68%
    10-K Item 1A: 'the Company sold approximately 68% of its sales tons to U.S. electric power generators'
  • MEDIUMSupplierconcentrated group of suppliers
    10-K Item 1A: 'We procure this equipment from a concentrated group of suppliers'

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. How we score · Editorial policy

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About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.

Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.

Conflicts and positions. People who build TrendMatrix, or entities they control, may hold positions, long or short, in securities it covers, and may trade them at any time. Positions are not disclosed individually. Verdicts are generated by an automated model applied by the same rules to every covered stock, and are not adjusted for any position held by the people who build TrendMatrix. We do not accept payment from issuers for coverage.

No paid promotion. TrendMatrix does not accept payment from any issuer, broker, or third party in exchange for coverage of any security.

No fiduciary duty. No fiduciary, advisory, or agency relationship is created between you and TrendMatrix by reading our content or subscribing to our service.

Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

3 floor-breakers

Price action weak — below key moving averages, no momentum carry. Needs a base before trend-continuation setups apply.static

Volume
0.0
Obv
1.0
Ma Position
2.2
Macd
2.8
Rsi
3.5
Volume distribution (falling OBV)Below 200-MA but MA still rising (+0.2%/30d) — pullback in uptrend, not confirmed weakness

Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static

Growth Rank
0.0
Value Rank
2.5
Quality Rank
2.5

Quality below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Roa
0.0
Gross Margin
0.0
Roe
0.9
Operating Margin
0.9
Net Margin
1.2
Moat
5.2
Current Ratio
6.5
Piotroski F
7.8
Fcf Quality
10.0
Excellent cash conversion: 274% FCF/NINo competitive moatStrong Piotroski F-Score: 7/9
GatesMomentum 1.9<4.5A.R:R 1.1 < 1.5@spotEARNINGS PROXIMITY 5d<=7dInsider activity: OKNo SEC red flagsSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARMATERIALS CYCLE PEAK CLEARSuitability: Aggressive
RSI
39 · Neutral
↓ 20D MA↓ 50D MA↓ 200D MAGOLDEN CROSSSupport $85.98Resistance $92.91

Price Targets

$83
$94
A.Upside+8.0%
A.R:R1.1:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0%
Max %0%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Quality below floor (3.6 < 4.0)
! momentum at 1.9 (below the engine's 4.5 threshold)
! asymmetry at 1.1 (below the engine's 1.5 threshold)@spot

Earnings

B
B
B
M
3/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-11-05 (5d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CNR stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $86.96: Quality below floor (3.6 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.4/10. Specifically: Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum; Below long-term trend. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Prior stop was $83.40. Score 5.4/10, moderate confidence.

What is the CNR stock price target?

Analyst target: $93.92 (+8.0% upside). Prior stop was $83.40. Stop-loss: $83.40.

What are the risks of investing in CNR?

Concentration risk — Customer: U.S. electric power generators (68.0%); Quality below floor (3.6 < 4.0).

Is CNR overvalued or undervalued?

Core Natural Resources, Inc. trades at a P/E of 44.0 (forward 13.4). TrendMatrix value score: 7.5/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about CNR?

9 analysts cover CNR with a consensus score of 4.0/5. Average price target: $111.

What does Core Natural Resources, Inc. do?Core Natural Resources produces metallurgical and thermal coals from mining complexes in Pennsylvania, West Virginia,...

Core Natural Resources produces metallurgical and thermal coals from mining complexes in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Colorado following its January 2025 all-stock merger with Arch Resources. The company sells coal to electric power generators (73% of 2025 sales tons), industrial customers, and metallurgical end-users, exporting 24.5 million tons in 2025 through two East Coast terminals.

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