Bloomberg: Plummeting coal prices have pushed almost half the debt issued by U.S. coal companies into default, and for miners and their investors theres no end in sight.
Patriot Coal Corp., Walter Energy Inc. and Alpha Natural Resources Inc. have all filed for bankruptcy in the past year. Now that Arch Coal Inc., the second largest coal miner in the U.S., has joined their ranks, investors are wondering if the biggest, Peabody Energy Corp., could be next.
Peabodys shares have been sliced roughly in half...