Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) Announces Earnings Results

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The basic materials company reported ($0.26) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.29) by $0.03, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $502.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $485.84 million. Mercer International had a negative net margin of 9.90% and a negative return on equity of 17.93%. The business’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($0.39) EPS.

Mercer International Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of MERC traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $6.44. The company had a trading volume of 672,553 shares, compared to its average volume of 358,226. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $6.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.22, a quick ratio of 2.17 and a current ratio of 3.46. Mercer International has a 1 year low of $5.33 and a 1 year high of $11.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $430.64 million, a P/E ratio of -2.18 and a beta of 1.34.

Mercer International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 25th were given a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.66%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 25th. Mercer International’s dividend payout ratio is currently -10.14%.

Insider Activity at Mercer International

In related news, VP Wolfgang Beck acquired 18,500 shares of Mercer International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $6.02 per share, for a total transaction of $111,370.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 26,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $158,103.26. This represents a 200.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Mercer International news, CEO Estrada Juan Carlos Bueno bought 7,800 shares of Mercer International stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $6.60 per share, with a total value of $51,480.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 67,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $446,259. This represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Wolfgang Beck bought 18,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $6.02 per share, with a total value of $111,370.00. Following the purchase, the vice president now directly owns 26,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $158,103.26. This trade represents a 200.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have bought a total of 41,300 shares of company stock valued at $252,650 over the last 90 days. 4.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on MERC shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Mercer International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 18th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Mercer International from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, CIBC cut their price objective on Mercer International from $10.00 to $8.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $9.38.

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.