Mercer International Inc. Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.08 (NASDAQ:MERC)

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC - Get Free Report) TSE: MRI.U announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, October 31st, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 18th will be paid a dividend of 0.075 per share by the basic materials company on Thursday, December 26th. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.66%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 18th.

Mercer International has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 3.4% annually over the last three years. Mercer International has a dividend payout ratio of -375.0% meaning the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Equities analysts expect Mercer International to earn ($0.07) per share next year, which means the company may not be able to cover its $0.30 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of -428.6%.

Mercer International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MERC traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $6.44. The stock had a trading volume of 672,553 shares, compared to its average volume of 358,226. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $6.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $7.90. Mercer International has a 1-year low of $5.33 and a 1-year high of $11.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $430.65 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.28 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.22, a quick ratio of 2.17 and a current ratio of 3.46.

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC - Get Free Report) TSE: MRI.U last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The basic materials company reported ($0.26) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.29) by $0.03. Mercer International had a negative net margin of 9.90% and a negative return on equity of 17.93%. The company had revenue of $502.14 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $485.84 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.39) earnings per share. Mercer International's revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Mercer International will post -1.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on MERC shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Mercer International from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Mercer International from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Finally, CIBC lowered their price objective on shares of Mercer International from $10.00 to $8.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Mercer International presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $9.38.

Insider Activity at Mercer International

In other Mercer International news, VP Wolfgang Beck bought 18,500 shares of Mercer International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $6.02 per share, for a total transaction of $111,370.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president now owns 26,263 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $158,103.26. This represents a 200.00 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Mercer International news, CEO Estrada Juan Carlos Bueno bought 7,800 shares of Mercer International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $6.60 per share, for a total transaction of $51,480.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 67,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $446,259. This represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Wolfgang Beck bought 18,500 shares of Mercer International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $6.02 per share, with a total value of $111,370.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 26,263 shares of the company's stock, valued at $158,103.26. This represents a 200.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have purchased 41,300 shares of company stock worth $252,650 over the last quarter. 4.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Mercer International Company Profile

Mercer International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) and northern bleached hardwood kraft (NBHK) pulp worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Pulp and Solid Wood. It manufactures, sells, and distributes pulp, electricity, and chemicals through pulp mills.