Arch Coal Merger Consolidates Coking Space

Things were already looking tight in the coking coal world before Arch Coal (ACI) decided to pay $3.4 billion for International Coal Group (ICO). The deal pays International Coal shareholders a 32% premium over Friday’s close and will create the second-biggest U.S. supplier of metallurgical coal. As the buyer, Arch is taking a bit of a short-term beating in the market this morning, but take a look at the long-term prospects here.