Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Hits New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Reached a new 52-week high: Hecla Mining traded as high as $33.83 and last around $33.99 (up ~3.7%), with its 50-day and 200-day moving averages at $19.83 and $13.50, signaling a sharp recent run-up.
• Strong quarter but mixed outlook: Hecla beat estimates with $0.12 EPS and $409.5M revenue (revenue +67.1% YoY), yet carries a rich P/E (~106) and an analyst consensus of "Hold" with an average target of $12.72, indicating divergent views despite solid results.

Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $33.83 and last traded at $33.9870, with a volume of 6490127 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $31.81.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HL has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Hecla Mining in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Hecla Mining from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, November 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $26.50 price objective on Hecla Mining in a research report on Friday. Zacks Research upgraded Hecla Mining from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, CIBC increased 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hecla Mining has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $12.72.

Hecla Mining Stock Up 3.7%

The stock has a market capitalization of $22.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 106.36 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.51. The firm's fifty day moving average is $19.83 and its 200-day moving average is $13.50.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $409.54 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $315.60 million. Hecla Mining had a net margin of 16.35% and a return on equity of 7.87%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 67.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.03 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Hecla Mining Company will post 0.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Hecla Mining Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 24th were given a $0.0038 dividend. This represents a $0.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 24th. Hecla Mining's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 3.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hecla Mining news, VP Kurt Allen sold 52,219 shares of Hecla Mining stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.91, for a total value of $1,144,118.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 216,641 shares in the company, valued at $4,746,604.31. The trade was a 19.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Russell Douglas Lawlar sold 18,535 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.02, for a total value of $278,395.70. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 426,679 shares of company stock worth $7,678,773 over the last quarter. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hecla Mining by 20.9% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,285,345 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $23,827,000 after acquiring an additional 739,360 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 380,448 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Hecla Mining by 4,210.8% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 14,355 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $86,000 after purchasing an additional 14,022 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its stake in Hecla Mining by 30.3% in the 2nd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 15,053 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $90,000 after purchasing an additional 3,501 shares in the last quarter. Finally, J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG raised its holdings in Hecla Mining by 9.0% during the 2nd quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 58,100 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $348,000 after buying an additional 4,806 shares during the period. 63.01% of the stock is currently 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.

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