Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Trading 5.2% Higher – Time to Buy?

Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL)’s share price traded up 5.2% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $24.12 and last traded at $23.95. 18,145,175 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 38% from the average session volume of 29,257,664 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.77.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded Hecla Mining from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Hecla Mining in a report on Monday, December 29th. HC Wainwright raised their price objective on Hecla Mining from $16.50 to $36.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce lifted their price objective on Hecla Mining from $27.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Hecla Mining from $15.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $22.00.

Hecla Mining Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $21.96 and a 200-day moving average of $14.93. The stock has a market cap of $16.05 billion, a PE ratio of 77.26 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 2.15 and a quick ratio of 1.51.

Insider Activity at Hecla Mining

In other Hecla Mining news, VP Kurt Allen sold 52,219 shares of Hecla Mining stock in a transaction 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 sale, the vice president directly owned 216,641 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,746,604.31. The trade was a 19.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP David C. Sienko sold 207,553 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.42, for a total transaction of $4,030,679.26. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 906,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,601,705.40. This trade represents a 18.63% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HL. Veracity Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hecla Mining by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Veracity Capital LLC now owns 11,005 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $211,000 after purchasing an additional 419 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its holdings in Hecla Mining by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 31,853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $611,000 after buying an additional 434 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in Hecla Mining by 9.5% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,786 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $111,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust boosted its stake in Hecla Mining by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 11,188 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $215,000 after buying an additional 690 shares during the period. Finally, Axxcess Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Hecla Mining by 9.1% during the fourth quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,905 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $209,000 after acquiring an additional 905 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.