Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Shares Down 1.3% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) were down 1.3% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $23.17 and last traded at $24.5980. Approximately 24,111,577 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 11% from the average daily volume of 27,096,561 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.91.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Hecla Mining from $16.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Hecla Mining from $15.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. HC Wainwright raised their target price on shares of Hecla Mining from $16.50 to $36.50 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Roth Mkm set a $13.00 target price on shares of Hecla Mining in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upped their price target on Hecla Mining from $27.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.63.

Hecla Mining Stock Down 1.3%

The company has a market cap of $16.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.20 and a beta of 1.22. The company’s 50-day moving average is $23.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 2.72 and a quick ratio of 2.22.

Hecla Mining Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be paid a $0.0038 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 9th. This represents a $0.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. Hecla Mining’s payout ratio is currently 2.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hecla Mining

In related news, VP David C. Sienko sold 207,553 shares of Hecla Mining stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.42, for a total value of $4,030,679.26. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 906,370 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,601,705.40. This trade represents a 18.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Kurt Allen sold 52,219 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.91, for a total transaction of $1,144,118.29. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 216,641 shares in the company, valued at $4,746,604.31. This represents a 19.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 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 added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Veracity Capital LLC raised its stake in Hecla Mining by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Veracity Capital LLC now owns 11,005 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $211,000 after buying an additional 419 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew 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 acquiring an additional 434 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Hecla Mining by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,786 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $111,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in Hecla Mining by 33.9% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,011 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in Hecla Mining by 74.3% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,480 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 631 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.01% of the company’s stock.

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.