Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Sets New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) shares hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $24.49 and last traded at $24.4360, with a volume of 5324962 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $22.45.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HL has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Hecla Mining from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 2nd. Roth Capital set a $8.75 target price on Hecla Mining and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. CIBC raised their target price on Hecla Mining from $15.00 to $16.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Hecla Mining in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, HC Wainwright increased their price objective on Hecla Mining from $12.50 to $16.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hecla Mining presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $10.22.

Hecla Mining Stock Down 0.7%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $17.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.28 billion, a PE ratio of 78.39 and a beta of 1.28.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.01. Hecla Mining had a return on equity of 7.87% and a net margin of 16.35%.The company had revenue of $409.54 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $315.60 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.03 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 67.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Hecla Mining Company will post 0.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Hecla Mining Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Investors of record on Monday, November 24th were paid a $0.0038 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 24th. This represents a $0.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. Hecla Mining’s payout ratio is presently 3.23%.

Insider Activity at Hecla Mining

In other Hecla Mining news, VP Kurt Allen sold 52,219 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.91, for a total transaction of $1,144,118.29. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 216,641 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,746,604.31. This trade represents a 19.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Russell Douglas Lawlar sold 18,535 shares of Hecla Mining stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.02, for a total transaction of $278,395.70. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 426,679 shares of company stock valued at $7,678,773. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hecla Mining

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HL. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hecla Mining by 20.9% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,285,345 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $23,827,000 after purchasing an additional 739,360 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in shares of Hecla Mining by 24.1% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,959,276 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $10,894,000 after buying an additional 380,448 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Hecla Mining during the first quarter valued at $188,000. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. bought a new stake in Hecla Mining in the 2nd quarter worth about $162,000. Finally, Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised its position in Hecla Mining by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft now owns 39,402 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $236,000 after buying an additional 2,368 shares during the last quarter. 63.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Hecla Mining

Hecla Mining Company, founded in 1891 and headquartered in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is one of the oldest publicly traded precious metals companies in the United States. Originally established to develop the rich silver deposits of the Coeur d’Alene district, Hecla has evolved into a diversified mining enterprise focused on the exploration, development and production of silver and gold, with by-product credits from lead and zinc.

The company’s principal operations are located in North America and Latin America.