As reported earlier, MKM Partners analyst Daniel Scott upgraded Alliance Resource Partners to Buy from Neutral and raised his price target to $22 from $21. Scott cites a "good quarter with a guidance increase" as exports expectations in FY18 rose to about 20% total sales for the year. The analyst added that the output of thermal coal in Illinois Basin and coking coal out of Appalachia were strong, while the solid performance came in spite of the delayed shipments of 1.4M tons of coal due to weather-related transportation disruptions on the river system.