Brokerages Set Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) Target Price at $4.25

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) has earned an average rating of “Reduce” from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and four have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $4.25.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MERC. TD Securities decreased their price target on Mercer International from $3.50 to $3.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. CIBC decreased their price target on Mercer International from $5.00 to $4.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Mercer International in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th.

Mercer International Stock Up 2.4%

Mercer International stock opened at $2.10 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42, a current ratio of 3.10 and a quick ratio of 1.73. Mercer International has a 1-year low of $2.01 and a 1-year high of $8.28. The company has a market cap of $140.66 million, a PE ratio of -1.29 and a beta of 0.96. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $2.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $3.41.

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported ($1.29) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.73) by ($0.56). Mercer International had a negative net margin of 5.60% and a negative return on equity of 23.88%. The business had revenue of $453.52 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $514.46 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Mercer International will post -0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mercer International

In related news, Director Linda J. Welty purchased 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 18th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $3.09 per share, with a total value of $30,900.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 36,290 shares in the company, valued at $112,136.10. The trade was a 38.04% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mercer International

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MERC. Gabelli Funds LLC acquired a new position in Mercer International in the second quarter valued at $1,804,000. Jump Financial LLC increased its stake in Mercer International by 340.6% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 276,837 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $969,000 after purchasing an additional 214,008 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new position in Mercer International in the second quarter valued at $244,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP increased its stake in Mercer International by 943.3% in the first quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 20,470 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $126,000 after purchasing an additional 18,508 shares during the last quarter. 85.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.