Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) Trading Down 5.6%

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) shares fell 5.6% on Monday . The company traded as low as $8.06 and last traded at $8.06. Approximately 57,650 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average daily volume of 243,109 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.54.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Mercer International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 13th. TD Securities increased their target price on Mercer International from $10.00 to $10.50 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Finally, Raymond James lifted their price target on Mercer International from $8.50 to $10.50 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Mercer International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $9.67.

Mercer International Trading Down 5.9 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.82, a current ratio of 3.74 and a quick ratio of 2.38. The business’s 50-day moving average is $9.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.31. The firm has a market cap of $537.47 million, a P/E ratio of -2.42 and a beta of 1.36.

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 9th. The basic materials company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Mercer International had a negative return on equity of 26.21% and a negative net margin of 11.27%. The business had revenue of $553.43 million for the quarter. As a group, analysts predict that Mercer International Inc. will post -0.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mercer International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.075 per share. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 26th. Mercer International’s dividend payout ratio is currently -8.75%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mercer International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in Mercer International in the first quarter valued at $193,000. Everence Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Mercer International in the 1st quarter valued at about $261,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of Mercer International by 17.5% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 40,488 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $384,000 after purchasing an additional 6,042 shares during the period. 85.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.