Investors Purchase High Volume of Hecla Mining Call Options (NYSE:HL)

Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors purchased 103,115 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 145% compared to the average daily volume of 42,171 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hecla Mining

In other Hecla Mining news, VP David C. Sienko sold 207,553 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the vice president owned 906,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,601,705.40. This represents a 18.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Kurt Allen sold 52,219 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the vice president 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 426,679 shares of company stock worth $7,678,773 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hecla Mining

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Transce3nd LLC acquired a new stake in Hecla Mining in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in Hecla Mining in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Hecla Mining in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in Hecla Mining by 2,390.0% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,490 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 2,390 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hecla Mining by 255.6% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,156 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 4,425 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.01% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Hecla Mining

Here are the key news stories impacting Hecla Mining this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hecla agreed to sell its Casa Berardi gold operation for up to $593 million, a transaction management says will accelerate the company’s pivot to premier silver assets and materially strengthen the balance sheet (cash proceeds can fund buybacks, capex or debt reduction). Hecla Mining Company Announces Sale of Casa Berardi for up to $593 Million
• Positive Sentiment: Silver prices breached $100/oz today — a strong commodity tailwind that boosts Hecla’s revenue and valuation prospects given its focus on silver. This macro move helps explain intraday buying interest. Hecla Mining forecasts lower 2026 silver output – but HL stock rises on record silver rally
• Neutral Sentiment: Management hosted an M&A/strategy call (transcript available) discussing the company’s transformation toward higher-quality silver assets and the rationale behind recent transactions — useful context for investors but not an immediate earnings surprise. Hecla Mining Company (HL) M&A Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading in HL was temporarily halted midday for “news pending,” a procedural pause that coincided with the Casa Berardi announcement and heightened volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Hecla released full-year 2025 production and its 2026 guidance; while 2025 output was strong, management forecast lower silver output in 2026 — a supply/outlook miss that can pressure near-term revenues and sentiment. Hecla Announces Full Year Production and 2026 Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Canaccord Genuity downgraded Hecla to Hold, which likely amplified selling pressure from investors taking profits after the recent precious-metals run. Canaccord Genuity Group Downgrades Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) to Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion pieces urging profit-taking after silver’s rally (e.g., “Time to Sell Hecla?”) can increase short-term volatility and encourage headline-driven selling. Silver Just Hit $100. Time to Sell Hecla Mining?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Hecla Mining in a research note on Monday, December 29th. CIBC raised their price objective on shares of Hecla Mining from $15.00 to $16.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $26.50 target price on shares of Hecla Mining in a research note on Friday. Roth Mkm set a $8.75 price target on shares of Hecla Mining and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Hecla Mining from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $13.97.

Hecla Mining Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HL opened at $29.93 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 2.15. The firm has a market cap of $20.06 billion, a PE ratio of 96.56 and a beta of 1.28. Hecla Mining has a one year low of $4.46 and a one year high of $34.17. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $20.15 and a 200 day moving average of $13.67.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $409.54 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $315.60 million. Hecla Mining had a net margin of 16.35% and a return on equity of 7.87%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 67.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.03 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Hecla Mining will post 0.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hecla Mining Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 24th were given a $0.0038 dividend. This represents a $0.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 24th. Hecla Mining’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.23%.

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.