Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on SCCO. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $154.69 price target on shares of Southern Copper in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Zacks Research downgraded Southern Copper from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Itau BBA Securities lowered Southern Copper from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $124.94 target price on the stock. in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.38 target price on shares of Southern Copper and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Scotiabank restated an “underperform” rating on shares of Southern Copper in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and eight have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Southern Copper currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $139.99.

Southern Copper Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SCCO opened at $152.41 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.89, a quick ratio of 3.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Southern Copper has a 12 month low of $74.84 and a 12 month high of $223.88. The company has a market capitalization of $123.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.65, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.03. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $191.39 and its 200 day moving average is $151.30.

Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.01. Southern Copper had a net margin of 32.30% and a return on equity of 41.97%. The business had revenue of $3.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.73 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.98 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Southern Copper will post 4.66 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Southern Copper

In other news, Director Lerdo De Tejada Leon Contreras sold 9,326 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $209.56, for a total transaction of $1,954,344.91. Following the transaction, the director owned 605 shares in the company, valued at approximately $126,783.04. This trade represents a 93.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Bonilla Luis Miguel Palomino sold 193 shares of Southern Copper stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.60, for a total value of $33,697.80. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,707 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $298,042.20. The trade was a 10.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 9,526 shares of company stock valued at $1,989,373 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new position in shares of Southern Copper during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its stake in Southern Copper by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 57,077 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $8,189,000 after buying an additional 702 shares in the last quarter. Fund Advisors of America Inc FL bought a new position in Southern Copper in the fourth quarter worth approximately $692,000. World Investment Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Southern Copper during the 4th quarter worth $413,000. Finally, Larry Mathis Financial Planning LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Southern Copper during the fourth quarter valued at about $535,000. 7.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Southern Copper Company Profile

Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE: SCCO) is a large, integrated copper producer whose operations span the full value chain from exploration and mining to smelting, refining and the sale of copper and other metal products. The company produces a range of copper products including copper concentrate and refined cathodes, and recovers valuable byproducts such as molybdenum, silver and zinc. Southern Copper concentrates on high-volume, long-life assets designed to support steady production and processing capabilities.

Southern Copper’s operations are concentrated in Peru and Mexico, where it owns and operates multiple large-scale mining and processing facilities.