Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Hits New 12-Month Low - Here's What Happened

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $5.59 and last traded at $5.73, with a volume of 25921266 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $5.80.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on HL shares. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and issued a $11.50 price target on shares of Hecla Mining in a research report on Friday, February 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Hecla Mining from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 17th. National Bank Financial upgraded shares of Hecla Mining to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Roth Mkm decreased their price target on shares of Hecla Mining from $6.60 to $6.50 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and set a $5.50 price objective (down from $7.50) on shares of Hecla Mining in a report on Monday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $7.20.

Hecla Mining Stock Performance

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's fifty day moving average is $5.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 94.52 and a beta of 1.57.

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

Hecla Mining Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a $0.0038 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $0.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.32%. Hecla Mining's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 9.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hecla Mining

In other Hecla Mining news, CAO Michael L. Clary sold 32,387 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.18, for a total transaction of $167,764.66. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 246,440 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,276,559.20. This represents a 11.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Robert Krcmarov purchased 6,570 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $5.29 per share, with a total value of $34,755.30. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 331,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,755,518.24. This trade represents a 2.02 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold 57,915 shares of company stock worth $300,000 over the last quarter. 0.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hecla Mining

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Hecla Mining during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hecla Mining by 771.8% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,013 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 4,438 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Hecla Mining during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new stake in Hecla Mining in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Hecla Mining by 30.7% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 8,351 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,961 shares during the period. 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.