Van ECK Associates Corp Makes New $193.48 Million Investment in Aya Gold & Silver Inc. $AYA

Key Points

• Van ECK Associates Corp. acquired 10.23 million Aya Gold & Silver shares worth approximately $193.5 million, giving it a 7.1% stake. Several other institutional investors also initiated positions during the second quarter.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: Aya received upgrades from Desjardins, Scotiabank, and Zacks Research, while Weiss Ratings downgraded it to “Hold.” MarketBeat reports a consensus rating of “Buy.”
• Aya shares opened at $27.97, down 4.5%, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.23—below the $0.36 consensus estimate. The company maintains strong profitability metrics, including a 32.92% net margin and 25.49% return on equity.

Van ECK Associates Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (NASDAQ:AYA - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 10,226,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $193,481,000. Van ECK Associates Corp owned about 7.10% of Aya Gold & Silver at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter valued at about $502,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in Aya Gold & Silver during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $557,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp bought a new stake in Aya Gold & Silver during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $663,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter worth approximately $673,000. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter worth approximately $1,509,000.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AYA. Desjardins upgraded Aya Gold & Silver to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Scotiabank raised Aya Gold & Silver to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings cut Aya Gold & Silver from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Aya Gold & Silver from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Aya Gold & Silver presently has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Aya Gold & Silver Stock Down 4.5%

Aya Gold & Silver stock opened at $27.97 on Friday. Aya Gold & Silver Inc. has a 52 week low of $15.84 and a 52 week high of $30.24. The business's 50 day moving average price is $22.21. The company has a market cap of $4.03 billion and a PE ratio of 49.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a current ratio of 2.02.

Aya Gold & Silver (NASDAQ:AYA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 net margin of 32.92% and a return on equity of 25.49%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Aya Gold & Silver Inc. will post 1.11 EPS for the current year.

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.

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