Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Stock Price Down 7.9% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Hecla shares fell 7.9% intraday to $27.61 after a trading halt, with mid‑day volume of about 9.79M shares versus a 26.66M average.
• The company agreed to sell Casa Berardi for up to $593 million to strengthen the balance sheet and refocus on silver, while silver topped $100/oz, a significant price tailwind for Hecla's revenue and margins.
• Management guided to lower 2026 silver output — a near‑term production headwind that could temper earnings despite higher metal prices — and analysts remain mixed, with a consensus "Hold" and an average target near $17.56, though some firms set targets around $26–$28.

Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report)'s share price dropped 7.9% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $28.01 and last traded at $27.61. Approximately 9,786,904 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 63% from the average daily volume of 26,664,787 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.97.

Trending Headlines about Hecla Mining

Here are the key news stories impacting Hecla Mining this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hecla agreed to sell its Casa Berardi gold operation to Orezone for up to $593 million — a cash-rich divestiture that management says will strengthen the balance sheet and let Hecla refocus on its premier silver assets. Hecla Announces Sale of Casa Berardi
• Positive Sentiment: Silver hit a record above $100/oz today — a price tailwind that materially boosts revenue and margins for primary silver producers like Hecla, and likely underpins investor demand even where guidance was conservative. Silver Just Hit $100. Time to Sell Hecla Mining?
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call‑option buying — over 103k call contracts (≈145% above average) traded — signals short‑term bullish speculation or hedging activity that can amplify intraday upside or volatility in HL. Investors Purchase High Volume of Hecla Mining Call Options
• Positive Sentiment: Hecla reported strong 2025 production and issued 2026 outlooks that management frames as supportive of its strategic transformation (details in company release/coverage). This underpins confidence in operational execution as the company pivots to a silver-focused portfolio. Hecla Announces Full Year Production and 2026 Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Hecla held an Investor Day (transcript and analyst materials published) and released M&A call transcripts — useful for long‑term thesis and management visibility but unlikely to move price by themselves absent new guidance or transaction specifics. 2026 Investor Day Investor Day Transcript M&A Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading in HL was temporarily halted when news was pending — a procedural reaction to the Casa Berardi sale announcement that can increase intraday volatility once resumed.
• Negative Sentiment: Company guidance included lower 2026 silver output expectations — a production headwind that could temper near‑term earnings growth if higher metal prices don’t fully offset lower volumes. Hecla Mining forecasts lower 2026 silver output

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on HL. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Hecla Mining from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, November 2nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Hecla Mining from $16.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Hecla Mining in a report on Monday, December 29th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Hecla Mining in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group set a $26.50 price objective on Hecla Mining in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Hecla Mining currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $17.56.

Hecla Mining Stock Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $20.15 and a 200 day moving average of $13.67. 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 company has a market cap of $18.67 billion, a PE ratio of 90.00 and a beta of 1.28.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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. Hecla Mining had a return on equity of 7.87% and a net margin of 16.35%.The business had revenue of $409.54 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $315.60 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.03 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 67.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Hecla Mining Company will post 0.21 EPS for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $0.0038 per share. This represents a $0.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 24th. Hecla Mining's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3.23%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Russell Douglas Lawlar sold 18,535 shares of Hecla Mining stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.02, for a total transaction of $278,395.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Kurt Allen sold 52,219 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.91, for a total value of $1,144,118.29. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 216,641 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,746,604.31. This trade represents a 19.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 426,679 shares of company stock valued at $7,678,773 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hecla Mining

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HL. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its stake in Hecla Mining by 8.2% during the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 233,858 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $4,488,000 after acquiring an additional 17,774 shares in the last quarter. SMART Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hecla Mining during the fourth quarter valued at about $205,000. CWM LLC increased its holdings in shares of Hecla Mining by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 31,853 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $611,000 after purchasing an additional 434 shares during the last quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Hecla Mining in the fourth quarter worth about $177,000. Finally, Abbington Investment Group boosted its stake in Hecla Mining by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Abbington Investment Group now owns 147,072 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,822,000 after buying an additional 8,715 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 63.01% of the company's stock.

Hecla Mining Company Profile

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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