Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Trading Down 2.3% - What's Next?

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) shares traded down 2.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $5.82 and last traded at $5.81. 7,887,986 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 40% from the average session volume of 13,176,964 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.94.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Hecla Mining Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $3.70 billion, a PE ratio of 117.02 and a beta of 1.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $5.52 and a 200-day moving average of $5.68.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The basic materials company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.05 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $249.66 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $229.21 million. Hecla Mining had a net margin of 3.85% and a return on equity of 3.10%. Equities analysts anticipate that Hecla Mining will post 0.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hecla Mining Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a $0.0038 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. This represents a $0.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.26%. Hecla Mining's payout ratio is 20.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Kurt Allen sold 9,195 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.18, for a total value of $47,630.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 104,512 shares of the company's stock, valued at $541,372.16. This represents a 8.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Russell Douglas Lawlar sold 16,333 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.18, for a total transaction of $84,604.94. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 297,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,543,551.94. The trade was a 5.20 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 57,915 shares of company stock worth $300,000. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hecla Mining

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HL. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hecla Mining by 771.8% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,013 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 4,438 shares during the last quarter. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. purchased a new position in Hecla Mining during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Hecla Mining during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in 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 buying an additional 1,961 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hecla Mining in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 63.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.