Traders Purchase Large Volume of Hecla Mining Call Options (NYSE:HL)

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Traders bought 17,339 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 70% compared to the average volume of 10,220 call options.

Hecla Mining Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of HL traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $5.89. The company's stock had a trading volume of 15,922,176 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,029,778. The company has a 50 day moving average of $5.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.71. 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 firm has a market cap of $3.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 117.72 and a beta of 1.77. Hecla Mining has a 1-year low of $4.41 and a 1-year high of $7.68.

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

Hecla Mining Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors 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 payout ratio is 20.00%.

Remove Ads

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insider Activity at Hecla Mining

In other news, CAO Michael L. Clary sold 32,387 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.18, for a total transaction of $167,764.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 246,440 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,276,559.20. This trade represents a 11.62 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Kurt Allen sold 9,195 shares of the business'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 $47,630.10. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 104,512 shares in the company, valued at $541,372.16. The trade was a 8.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 57,915 shares of company stock worth $300,000 over the last quarter. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hecla Mining

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hecla Mining by 30.7% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Hecla Mining by 13.0% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 18,883 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $93,000 after buying an additional 2,169 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Hecla Mining by 1.3% in 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 during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hecla Mining by 10.7% during the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 25,370 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $125,000 after acquiring an additional 2,457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 valued at $88,000 after acquiring an additional 2,944 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 63.01% of the company's stock.

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.