July 28: WLT, QLTY

Walter Energy
When increased demand outpaces price hikes, the seller stands to make a substantial profit. Such was the case for Walter Energy, which saw both sales volumes and prices increase dramatically this quarter.

The average price for a short ton of coking coal, Walter's main product, stood at $193.52 in the second quarter of 2010, up more than 70% from the 2009 price of $113.63. And Walter sold 1.8 million tons of the fuel, up 62% from last year's sales volume.

The result: $410.6 million in revenue for Walter Energy, up from $169.1 million in the prior-year period. That translated to a $116.1 million profit, or $2.16 in earnings pre share of company stock, much higher than the $11.3 million and $0.21 values from the year before.