Peter R. Kellogg Purchases 50,200 Shares of Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) Stock

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC - Get Free Report) TSE: MRI.U major shareholder Peter R. Kellogg acquired 50,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 6th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $3.62 per share, with a total value of $181,724.00. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 1,968,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,124,884. The trade was a 2.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company's stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Mercer International Trading Down 2.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:MERC traded down $0.11 during trading on Friday, reaching $3.89. The company's stock had a trading volume of 399,378 shares, compared to its average volume of 454,755. The company has a current ratio of 3.25, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44. Mercer International Inc. has a 12 month low of $3.20 and a 12 month high of $8.52. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $3.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $260.12 million, a PE ratio of -2.88 and a beta of 1.04.

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC - Get Free Report) TSE: MRI.U last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported ($0.33) earnings per share for the quarter. Mercer International had a negative return on equity of 12.07% and a negative net margin of 4.55%. The firm had revenue of $506.97 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $508.42 million. On average, research analysts predict that Mercer International Inc. will post -0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mercer International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 26th were given a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.71%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 26th. Mercer International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -22.22%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MERC has been the subject of several research reports. CIBC dropped their price objective on shares of Mercer International from $6.00 to $5.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Raymond James Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Mercer International from $7.00 to $5.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Mercer International from $7.00 to $5.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, TD Securities dropped their price objective on shares of Mercer International from $5.50 to $4.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Mercer International has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $4.75.

Institutional Trading of Mercer International

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Mercer International stock. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its stake in shares of Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC - Free Report) TSE: MRI.U by 943.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 20,470 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 18,508 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP's holdings in Mercer International were worth $126,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. 85.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mercer International Company Profile

Mercer International Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) and northern bleached hardwood kraft (NBHK) pulp worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Pulp and Solid Wood. It manufactures, sells, and distributes pulp, electricity, and chemicals through pulp mills.