Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG)

First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE:AG) (TSE:FR) saw unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Traders purchased 25,196 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 58% compared to the typical daily volume of 15,949 call options.

First Majestic Silver Trading Down 3.1 %

Shares of AG stock opened at $6.76 on Friday. First Majestic Silver has a 1 year low of $4.43 and a 1 year high of $8.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.27 billion, a PE ratio of -19.30 and a beta of 1.16. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $5.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 2.56.

First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG) (TSE:FR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The mining company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.05 by ($0.02). First Majestic Silver had a negative return on equity of 3.07% and a negative net margin of 18.17%. The company had revenue of $172.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $227.77 million. As a group, research analysts expect that First Majestic Silver will post 0.54 EPS for the current year.

First Majestic Silver Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $0.0057 per share. This represents a $0.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This is a positive change from First Majestic Silver’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.00. First Majestic Silver’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -5.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on AG shares. TD Securities raised First Majestic Silver to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of First Majestic Silver from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $11.00 price objective on shares of First Majestic Silver in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Scotiabank decreased their target price on shares of First Majestic Silver from $6.50 to $6.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $8.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Majestic Silver

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co bought a new stake in shares of First Majestic Silver in the 4th quarter worth $723,000. Integrated Advisors Network LLC acquired a new position in First Majestic Silver during the fourth quarter worth about $399,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its holdings in First Majestic Silver by 8.1% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 155,262 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $852,000 after acquiring an additional 11,649 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in shares of First Majestic Silver by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 88,896 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $488,000 after purchasing an additional 5,099 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its stake in shares of First Majestic Silver by 90.6% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 118,715 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $652,000 after purchasing an additional 56,415 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 27.16% of the company’s stock.

First Majestic Silver Company Profile

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of mineral properties with a focus on silver and gold production in North America. Its projects include the San Dimas mine covering an area of approximately 71,867 hectares located in Durango State, Mexico; the Santa Elena that covers an area of approximately 102,244 hectares located in Sonora State, México; and the La Encantada covering an area of approximately 4,076 hectares located in Coahuila State, México.