Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Stock Rating Upgraded by National Bank Financial

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by National Bank Financial to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on HL. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $11.50 price target on shares of Hecla Mining in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Wall Street Zen raised Hecla Mining from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 17th. BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and set a $5.50 target price (down previously from $7.50) on shares of Hecla Mining in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Roth Mkm dropped their target price on Hecla Mining from $6.60 to $6.50 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, TD Securities dropped their target price on Hecla Mining from $6.00 to $5.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $7.13.

Hecla Mining Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HL traded up $0.03 during trading on Thursday, reaching $6.02. The stock had a trading volume of 18,771,914 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,977,101. Hecla Mining has a one year low of $4.41 and a one year high of $7.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 1.08. The stock has a market cap of $3.80 billion, a PE ratio of 120.32 and a beta of 1.44. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $5.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $5.46.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.05 by ($0.01). Hecla Mining had a return on equity of 3.10% and a net margin of 3.85%. The company had revenue of $261.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $238.50 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.01) earnings per share. Hecla Mining's quarterly revenue was up 37.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Hecla Mining will post 0.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hecla Mining

In other Hecla Mining news, VP Stuart Maurice Absolom sold 18,926 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.66, for a total value of $126,047.16. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 59,410 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $395,670.60. This represents a 24.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Catherine J. Boggs purchased 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $4.99 per share, for a total transaction of $99,800.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 348,169 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,737,363.31. This trade represents a 6.09% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.62% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hecla Mining

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Hecla Mining by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,220,645 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $35,453,000 after acquiring an additional 502,094 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Hecla Mining during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,640,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Hecla Mining by 20.3% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,189,473 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $20,570,000 after acquiring an additional 707,712 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Hecla Mining by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 61,393,040 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $301,440,000 after acquiring an additional 774,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its position in Hecla Mining by 202.4% during the 4th quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 76,151 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $374,000 after acquiring an additional 50,969 shares during the last quarter. 63.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Hecla Mining

Hecla Mining Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides precious and base metal properties in the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and China. The company mines for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates, as well as carbon material containing silver and gold for custom smelters, metal traders, and third-party processors; and doré containing silver and gold.