Aura Minerals (NASDAQ:AUGO) Sets New 52-Week High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• 52-week high: Aura Minerals hit a new 52-week high of $103.82 (last $102.73) and is trading well above its 50-day ($77.23) and 200-day ($55.91) moving averages, with a market cap of about $8.75 billion.
• Analyst outlook mismatch: The stock carries an average rating of Buy but the consensus price target is $67.60 — substantially below the current price — while JPMorgan initiated coverage with an Overweight and $105 target.
• Mixed fundamentals: Aura reports a negative PE (-99.81) and negative net margin but pays a $0.66 quarterly dividend (2.5% yield) with a negative payout ratio (-251%), and the CEO recently sold 5,000 shares at $61.75.

Aura Minerals Inc. (NASDAQ:AUGO - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $103.82 and last traded at $102.73, with a volume of 363398 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $101.97.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Aura Minerals in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $105.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered Aura Minerals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, February 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Aura Minerals in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Aura Minerals from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aura Minerals currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $67.60.

Aura Minerals Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $8.75 billion and a PE ratio of -99.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $77.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $55.91.

Aura Minerals (NASDAQ:AUGO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, February 14th. The company reported ($0.24) earnings per share for the quarter. Aura Minerals had a negative net margin of 8.61% and a positive return on equity of 94.81%. The firm had revenue of $321.66 million during the quarter.

Aura Minerals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th were paid a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 11th. Aura Minerals's payout ratio is currently -251.43%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Rodrigo Cardoso Barbosa sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.75, for a total value of $308,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 854,745 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $52,780,503.75. This trade represents a 0.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Institutional Trading of Aura Minerals

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ashoka WhiteOak Capital Pte Ltd acquired a new stake in Aura Minerals in the 3rd quarter valued at $874,000. Diversified Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Aura Minerals in the third quarter worth about $216,000. U S Global Investors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Aura Minerals in the third quarter valued at about $3,721,000. North of South Capital LLP acquired a new stake in Aura Minerals in the third quarter valued at approximately $3,088,000. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in Aura Minerals in the third quarter valued at approximately $16,744,000.

Aura Minerals Company Profile

We are an Americas gold and copper production company with a significant portfolio of mining operations. Our mission is to deliver long-term value by unlocking operational efficiencies, responsibly growing our portfolio with a focus on return on invested capital, responsible mining practices and a commitment to sustainability. We operate with a decentralized culture, supported by a lean corporate team that ensures agile and dynamic management and decision-making processes, focused on high operational sustainability compliance standards.

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