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December 11, 2014: Here are four stocks among the 200 equities making new 52-week lows today.

Peabody Energy Corp. (NYSE: BTU) posted a new 52-week low on Thursday of $7.33. Based on Wednesday night’s closing price of $7.77 that’s a drop of about 5.7%. The stock’s 52-week high is $19.94. Trading about equal to the stock’s average daily volume of about 14 million shares traded. Coal stocks are among the energy stocks that are responding to the dip in crude oil prices. We provided an outlook for the 2015 coal market earlier today, and it is not terribly encouraging. Since the beginning of 2014, Peabody’s stock is down almost 74%.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX) dropped about 4.6% Thursday to post a new 52-week low of $22.96. The stock’s 52-week high is $39.32. Volume is about 60% higher than the daily average of around 12.6 million shares. Gold fell for the second straight day today and copper is near 5-year lows.

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (NYSE: PBR), aka Petrobras, posted a drop of about 5.3% today to establish a new 52-week low of $7.34 against a high of $20.94. Volume is about equal to the daily average of around 48 million shares. The government corruption scandal that is swirling around Petrobras continues to slam the stock, and the scandal is also taking a toll on at least one other Brazilian giant.

Vale SA (NYSE: VALE) dropped about 3.9% on Thursday to post a new 52-week low of $7.27 after closing at $7.54 on Wednesday. The stock’s 52-week high is $15.59. Share volume is nearly 20% higher than the 28 million daily average shares traded. Vale’s prospects are dim as iron ore prices are expected to remain low, and then there’s all the trouble with Petrobas.

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