Groupe la Francaise Makes New $16.29 Million Investment in Aya Gold & Silver Inc. $AYA

Groupe la Francaise purchased a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (NASDAQ:AYA) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 860,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,294,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Aya Gold & Silver during the second quarter valued at $39,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter worth $502,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter valued at $557,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new stake in Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter valued at about $663,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of Aya Gold & Silver during the 2nd quarter valued at about $673,000.

Aya Gold & Silver Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AYA opened at $28.91 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $23.17. The firm has a market cap of $4.16 billion and a P/E ratio of 51.62. Aya Gold & Silver Inc. has a 12-month low of $15.84 and a 12-month high of $30.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a current ratio of 2.02.

Aya Gold & Silver (NASDAQ:AYA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.13). Aya Gold & Silver had a return on equity of 25.49% and a net margin of 32.92%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Aya Gold & Silver Inc. will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on AYA shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Aya Gold & Silver in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Zacks Research upgraded Aya Gold & Silver from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Scotiabank raised shares of Aya Gold & Silver to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Desjardins upgraded shares of Aya Gold & Silver to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy”.

About Aya Gold & Silver

Aya Gold & Silver is a precious metals company focused on the exploration, development, and production of silver and gold. The company is best known for its operations in Morocco, where it is advancing and operating assets within the country’s mining sector.

The company’s business activities center on identifying, developing, and optimizing mineral resources, with an emphasis on silver production and related byproducts. Aya Gold & Silver is involved in the full mining lifecycle, from exploration and resource definition through to mine development and operations.

Founded as a Canadian mining company, Aya Gold & Silver has built its portfolio around North African mineral assets and continues to concentrate on expanding its presence in Morocco.