Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) VP Wolfgang Beck Buys 8,791 Shares

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) VP Wolfgang Beck bought 8,791 shares of Mercer International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $3.60 per share, with a total value of $31,647.60. Following the purchase, the vice president now directly owns 35,054 shares in the company, valued at approximately $126,194.40. This trade represents a 33.47% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Mercer International Stock Performance

Shares of MERC opened at $3.76 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.39, a current ratio of 3.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.09. Mercer International Inc. has a 52-week low of $3.20 and a 52-week high of $11.17. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $5.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $6.18. The company has a market capitalization of $251.43 million, a PE ratio of -2.96 and a beta of 1.08.

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported ($0.33) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Mercer International had a negative net margin of 4.17% and a negative return on equity of 5.18%. The company had revenue of $506.97 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.42 million. Equities research analysts predict that Mercer International Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mercer International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 26th will be issued a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.98%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 26th. Mercer International’s dividend payout ratio is currently -22.22%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MERC has been the subject of several analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target 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. TD Securities cut their target price on Mercer International from $5.50 to $4.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Raymond James reduced their price target on Mercer International from $7.00 to $5.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, CIBC decreased their price target on Mercer International from $6.00 to $5.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $4.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mercer International

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Mercer International stock. Entropy Technologies LP boosted its position in shares of Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) by 56.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,270 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,200 shares during the quarter. Entropy Technologies LP’s holdings in Mercer International were worth $112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Institutional investors own 85.79% of the company’s stock.

About Mercer International

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.