Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) VP Wolfgang Beck Purchases 18,500 Shares of Stock

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) VP Wolfgang Beck acquired 18,500 shares of Mercer International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was bought at an average price of $6.02 per share, for a total transaction of $111,370.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 26,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $158,103.26. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Mercer International Stock Performance

NASDAQ MERC opened at $5.65 on Friday. Mercer International Inc. has a 1-year low of $5.33 and a 1-year high of $11.20. The company has a 50 day moving average of $7.15 and a 200-day moving average of $8.73. The company has a current ratio of 3.46, a quick ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.22. The firm has a market cap of $377.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.65 and a beta of 1.34.

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported ($0.50) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.42) by ($0.08). Mercer International had a negative net margin of 9.90% and a negative return on equity of 17.93%. The company had revenue of $499.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $482.35 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($1.48) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Mercer International Inc. will post -1.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mercer International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 25th will be paid a $0.075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 25th. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.31%. Mercer International’s payout ratio is -8.75%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Mercer International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. CIBC reduced their price objective on shares of Mercer International from $10.00 to $8.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Mercer International from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $9.38.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mercer International

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MERC. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in Mercer International by 26.5% in the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 51,201 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $509,000 after purchasing an additional 10,713 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. purchased a new stake in Mercer International in the 1st quarter worth approximately $193,000. Finally, Everence Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Mercer International in the first quarter valued at approximately $261,000. 85.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.