Aya Gold & Silver (NASDAQ:AYA) Trading Up 8% – Still a Buy?

Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (NASDAQ:AYA)’s share price traded up 8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $30.24 and last traded at $29.9910. Approximately 478,162 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 22% from the average session volume of 616,858 shares. The stock had previously closed at $27.77.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Aya Gold & Silver from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Desjardins raised shares of Aya Gold & Silver to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Zacks Research upgraded Aya Gold & Silver from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Scotiabank raised shares of Aya Gold & Silver to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Two investment 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Aya Gold & Silver Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 1.70. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $21.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.22 billion and a P/E ratio of 52.17.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AYA. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new position in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter valued at $5,145,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver during the 2nd quarter worth $26,946,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter worth $663,000. Addenda Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter worth $1,097,000. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver during the second quarter worth $729,000.

About Aya Gold & Silver

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.