Hecla Mining Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:HL)

Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors acquired 103,115 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 145% compared to the typical volume of 42,171 call options.

Trending Headlines about 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?

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on HL shares. Zacks Research upgraded Hecla Mining from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $26.50 target price on Hecla Mining in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Hecla Mining in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Hecla Mining from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 2nd. Finally, Roth Mkm set a $8.75 price objective on shares of Hecla Mining and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. One research 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hecla Mining currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $13.97.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP David C. Sienko sold 207,553 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were 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 owned 906,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,601,705.40. This represents a 18.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Kurt Allen sold 52,219 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.91, for a total transaction 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. This represents a 19.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 426,679 shares of company stock valued at $7,678,773 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hecla Mining

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HL. Ninety One UK Ltd grew its position in Hecla Mining by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 6,219,902 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $75,261,000 after purchasing an additional 103,009 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System purchased a new position in Hecla Mining during the third quarter valued at $1,150,000. Yousif Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Hecla Mining during the third quarter valued at about $2,483,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Hecla Mining in the second quarter worth about $2,256,000. Finally, TIAA Trust National Association increased its stake in shares of Hecla Mining by 176.4% in the second quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 41,519 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $249,000 after purchasing an additional 26,499 shares in the last quarter. 63.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Hecla Mining Stock Down 5.9%

Hecla Mining stock opened at $29.93 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $20.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 96.56 and a beta of 1.28. 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 50 day moving average price of $20.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $13.67. Hecla Mining has a 52-week low of $4.46 and a 52-week high of $34.17.

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.01. Hecla Mining had a return on equity of 7.87% and a net margin of 16.35%.The business had revenue of $409.54 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $315.60 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.03 EPS. Hecla Mining’s quarterly revenue was up 67.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Hecla Mining will post 0.21 EPS for the current year.

Hecla Mining Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Investors of record on Monday, November 24th were issued a dividend of $0.0038 per share. This represents a $0.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 24th. Hecla Mining’s dividend payout ratio is currently 3.23%.

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.