Five years ago, Peabody Energy $BTU shares were trading around $2.58 each. Today, it's closed at $30.44—a strong 1,163% rise that reflects renewed demand for coal in power generation, steelmaking, and exports, despite the shift to renewables. The chart shows ups and downs through 2022-2024, with a solid push in 2025, and after-hours at $30.06. That 52-week high of $35.99 shows the recent top strength.

In simple terms, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is 63.78%. That's the average yearly gain—calculated by raising the total growth factor to the 1/5 power and subtracting 1. It means growing your money by over 60% each year, on average.

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Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) keeps it steady: Invest $500 every month for five years, totaling $30,000. This buys more shares on lower days and fewer on higher ones, which helps through the energy swings. Projecting forward at the same historical pace, with a monthly growth rate of about 4.21% from $30.44, your shares build over time.

After 60 months, your total could reach $130,998. That's a gain of $100,998—a 337% return on your investment. The early buys get the biggest compounding heat, while later ones still add to the burn.

This is based on the past, which isn't guaranteed ahead—coal faces risks from cleaner energy trends, regulations, and price volatility, but a P/E ratio not listed and 0.99% dividend yield offer some income with quarterly payouts of $0.08.

With that 52-week high of $35.99 in view and a $3.70B market cap, BTU has fuel. If DCA's your reliable approach, it could warm your $500 habit into a solid payoff by 2030. Stoke the fire?