Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI) Shares Down 3.9%

Gold Fields Limited (NYSE:GFI)’s stock price dropped 3.9% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $16.20 and last traded at $16.25. Approximately 1,136,704 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 73% from the average daily volume of 4,227,429 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.91.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Gold Fields from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. UBS Group downgraded shares of Gold Fields from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on Gold Fields from $15.50 to $15.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut Gold Fields from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $14.00 to $12.00 in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.67.

Gold Fields Trading Up 3.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 1.25. The business’s 50-day moving average is $16.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.79.

Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.10. Equities analysts predict that Gold Fields Limited will post 1.53 EPS for the current year.

Gold Fields Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were issued a $0.1717 dividend. This is a boost from Gold Fields’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.17. This represents a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gold Fields

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Gold Fields by 136.9% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 221,921 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,209,000 after buying an additional 128,262 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in shares of Gold Fields in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,046,000. Capricorn Fund Managers Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Gold Fields during the 4th quarter worth $3,897,000. Seven Eight Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Gold Fields during the 3rd quarter worth about $165,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC raised its holdings in Gold Fields by 572.1% in the 4th quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 62,063 shares of the company’s stock valued at $897,000 after buying an additional 52,829 shares during the period. 26.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Gold Fields

Gold Fields Limited operates as a gold producer with reserves and resources in Chile, South Africa, Ghana, Canada, Australia, and Peru. It also explores for copper and silver deposits. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Sandton, South Africa.