Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) Trading 3.1% Higher – Still a Buy?

Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) shares were up 3.1% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $24.26 and last traded at $23.6920. Approximately 18,229,566 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 36% from the average daily volume of 28,424,852 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.98.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on HL shares. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Hecla Mining in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Hecla Mining from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 2nd. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Hecla Mining from $15.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $26.50 price target on shares of Hecla Mining in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Hecla Mining from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $22.00.

Hecla Mining Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $15.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 76.43 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. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $22.07 and its 200 day moving average is $15.05.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hecla Mining news, VP Kurt Allen sold 52,219 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,746,604.31. The trade was a 19.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP David C. Sienko sold 207,553 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 represents a 18.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hecla Mining

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Veracity Capital LLC grew its position 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 purchasing an additional 419 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 434 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Greenleaf Trust increased its position in shares of Hecla Mining by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 11,188 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $215,000 after acquiring an additional 690 shares in the last quarter. 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.