First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE:AG) Short Interest Update

First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE:AG - Get Free Report) TSE: FR was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 22,420,000 shares, a decline of 16.2% from the February 28th total of 26,770,000 shares. Approximately 7.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 18,220,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.2 days.

First Majestic Silver Trading Down 13.5 %

Shares of First Majestic Silver stock traded down $0.87 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $5.57. The company had a trading volume of 26,972,261 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,408,934. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $6.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.20. First Majestic Silver has a fifty-two week low of $4.43 and a fifty-two week high of $8.44. The firm has a market cap of $2.70 billion, a PE ratio of -15.91 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 2.12.

First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG - Get Free Report) TSE: FR last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The mining company reported $0.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.05 by ($0.02). First Majestic Silver had a negative return on equity of 3.07% and a negative net margin of 18.17%. The firm had revenue of $172.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $227.77 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that First Majestic Silver will post 0.54 earnings per share for the current year.

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First Majestic Silver Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a dividend of $0.0057 per share. This is an increase from First Majestic Silver's previous quarterly dividend of $0.00. This represents a $0.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.41%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. First Majestic Silver's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -5.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $11.00 target price on shares of First Majestic Silver in a research report on Friday, February 21st. TD Securities upgraded shares of First Majestic Silver to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Scotiabank reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $6.00 target price on shares of First Majestic Silver in a report on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of First Majestic Silver from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $8.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AG. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in First Majestic Silver by 805.4% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 5,161 shares of the mining company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 4,591 shares during the period. Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. bought a new position in shares of First Majestic Silver during the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a new stake in shares of First Majestic Silver during the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of First Majestic Silver in the 4th quarter valued at $58,000. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of First Majestic Silver in the 3rd quarter valued at $70,000. 27.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Majestic Silver Company Profile

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of mineral properties with a focus on silver and gold production in North America. Its projects include the San Dimas mine covering an area of approximately 71,867 hectares located in Durango State, Mexico; the Santa Elena that covers an area of approximately 102,244 hectares located in Sonora State, México; and the La Encantada covering an area of approximately 4,076 hectares located in Coahuila State, México.