Aya Gold & Silver (NASDAQ:AYA) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Shares of Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (NASDAQ:AYA) gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $26.37, but opened at $27.25. Aya Gold & Silver shares last traded at $28.2740, with a volume of 148,238 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AYA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Aya Gold & Silver to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Aya Gold & Silver in a research note on Monday. Desjardins raised Aya Gold & Silver to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Aya Gold & Silver from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Aya Gold & Silver presently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Aya Gold & Silver Trading Up 5.1%

The company’s 50 day moving average is $22.53. The company has a market cap of $3.99 billion and a P/E ratio of 49.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.70, a current ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Aya Gold & Silver (NASDAQ:AYA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.13). Aya Gold & Silver had a net margin of 32.92% and a return on equity of 25.49%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Aya Gold & Silver Inc. will post 1.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aya Gold & Silver

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Amundi purchased a new position in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter valued at $29,474,000. Groupe la Francaise bought a new position in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter valued at about $16,294,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. purchased a new position in Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter worth about $39,000. Addenda Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter worth about $1,097,000. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new stake in Aya Gold & Silver during the second quarter worth approximately $729,000.

Aya Gold & Silver Company Profile

Aya Gold & Silver is a precious metals company focused on the exploration, development, and production of silver and gold. The company is best known for its operations in Morocco, where it is advancing and operating assets within the country’s mining sector.

The company’s business activities center on identifying, developing, and optimizing mineral resources, with an emphasis on silver production and related byproducts. Aya Gold & Silver is involved in the full mining lifecycle, from exploration and resource definition through to mine development and operations.

Founded as a Canadian mining company, Aya Gold & Silver has built its portfolio around North African mineral assets and continues to concentrate on expanding its presence in Morocco.