Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) CEO Estrada Juan Carlos Bueno Buys 7,800 Shares

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) CEO Estrada Juan Carlos Bueno acquired 7,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $6.60 per share, with a total value of $51,480.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 67,615 shares in the company, valued at $446,259. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Mercer International Price Performance

NASDAQ MERC traded down $0.36 on Monday, hitting $6.38. 719,645 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 283,376. Mercer International Inc. has a 52 week low of $5.33 and a 52 week high of $11.20. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $6.91 and a 200-day moving average of $8.64. 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 stock has a market cap of $426.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.84 and a beta of 1.34.

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

Mercer International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 25th will be given a $0.075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 25th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.70%. Mercer International’s dividend payout ratio is currently -8.75%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Everence Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Mercer International during the 1st quarter worth $261,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Mercer International during the first quarter valued at about $193,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Mercer International by 26.5% during the first 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 during the last quarter. 85.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Mercer International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday. CIBC cut their target price on Mercer International from $10.00 to $8.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $9.38.

Mercer International Company Profile

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.