Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Trading 4.5% Higher – Should You Buy?

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL)’s share price traded up 4.5% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $6.21 and last traded at $6.07. 2,550,581 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 81% from the average session volume of 13,129,096 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.81.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on HL shares. TD Securities cut Hecla Mining from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $6.50 to $5.50 in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Roth Mkm cut their target price on shares of Hecla Mining from $6.60 to $6.50 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. National Bank Financial upgraded Hecla Mining to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $11.50 target price on shares of Hecla Mining in a report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Hecla Mining from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 17th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $7.75.

Hecla Mining Stock Up 1.7 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $5.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $5.69. The company has a market capitalization of $3.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 118.22 and a beta of 1.77.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.05 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $249.66 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $229.21 million. Hecla Mining had a net margin of 3.85% and a return on equity of 3.10%. On average, research analysts predict that Hecla Mining will post 0.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hecla Mining Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a $0.0038 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $0.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.25%. Hecla Mining’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.00%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Michael L. Clary sold 32,387 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.18, for a total value of $167,764.66. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 246,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,276,559.20. The trade was a 11.62 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Robert Krcmarov purchased 6,570 shares of Hecla Mining stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were bought at an average price of $5.29 per share, with a total value of $34,755.30. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 331,856 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,755,518.24. This trade represents a 2.02 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 57,915 shares of company stock worth $300,000 over the last quarter. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hecla Mining

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Hecla Mining by 30.7% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 8,351 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 1,961 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Hecla Mining by 13.0% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 18,883 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $93,000 after purchasing an additional 2,169 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in Hecla Mining by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 173,616 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $852,000 after buying an additional 2,297 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in Hecla Mining by 10.7% in the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 25,370 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $125,000 after acquiring an additional 2,457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC increased its stake in Hecla Mining by 28.6% in the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 13,229 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $88,000 after acquiring an additional 2,944 shares during the last quarter. 63.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hecla Mining Company Profile

Hecla Mining Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides precious and base metal properties in the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and China. The company mines for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates, as well as carbon material containing silver and gold for custom smelters, metal traders, and third-party processors; and doré containing silver and gold.