Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Short Interest Up 10.8% in September

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 17,560,000 shares, an increase of 10.8% from the September 15th total of 15,850,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 9,990,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days.

Hecla Mining Stock Up 2.4 %

Shares of NYSE:HL traded up $0.16 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $6.71. 8,125,830 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,741,799. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $6.16 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.66. Hecla Mining has a 12-month low of $3.33 and a 12-month high of $7.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -44.70 and a beta of 2.01.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $245.66 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $208.80 million. Hecla Mining had a negative return on equity of 0.42% and a negative net margin of 5.56%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.03 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Hecla Mining will post 0.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hecla Mining Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th were issued a $0.0138 dividend. This represents a $0.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. This is a boost from Hecla Mining's previous quarterly dividend of $0.00. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 26th. Hecla Mining's dividend payout ratio is presently -33.33%.

Insider Transactions at Hecla Mining

In other Hecla Mining news, VP Kurt Allen sold 108,612 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.77, for a total value of $735,303.24. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 173,700 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,175,949. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Hecla Mining

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Continuum Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of Hecla Mining by 313.6% during the 2nd quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 6,551 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 4,967 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in Hecla Mining in the second quarter valued at about $41,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hecla Mining during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Ballentine Partners LLC purchased a new position in Hecla Mining in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Finally, Oak Family Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Hecla Mining during the second quarter worth $55,000. 63.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Roth Mkm decreased their price target on shares of Hecla Mining from $6.25 to $6.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $10.25 target price on shares of Hecla Mining in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Hecla Mining from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hecla Mining has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $7.56.

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.