Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The basic materials company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, reports. Mercer International had a negative return on equity of 25.20% and a negative net margin of 11.27%. The firm had revenue of $553.43 million for the quarter.

Mercer International Price Performance

Shares of Mercer International stock opened at $10.51 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.37, a current ratio of 3.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $9.94 and its 200 day moving average is $9.25. Mercer International has a 1 year low of $7.01 and a 1 year high of $11.20.

Mercer International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 26th will be given a dividend of $0.075 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 26th. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.85%. Mercer International’s dividend payout ratio is currently -8.75%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mercer International

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Mercer International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $296,000. Amalgamated Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Mercer International by 19.6% during the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 13,291 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $114,000 after purchasing an additional 2,182 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Mercer International in the first quarter worth $193,000. Finally, Everence Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Mercer International in the first quarter valued at $261,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.79% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MERC shares. Raymond James boosted their target price on shares of Mercer International from $8.50 to $10.50 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 19th. TD Securities increased their target price on shares of Mercer International from $10.00 to $10.50 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Mercer International to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Mercer International from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $9.67.

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.