Mercer International (MERC) Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Thursday

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) is set to issue its quarterly earnings data after the market closes on Thursday, October 31st. Persons interested in registering for the company’s earnings conference call can do so using this link.

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $499.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $482.35 million. Mercer International had a negative net margin of 9.90% and a negative return on equity of 17.93%. Mercer International’s quarterly revenue was down 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($1.48) EPS. On average, analysts expect Mercer International to post $-1 EPS for the current fiscal year and $0 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Mercer International Stock Performance

Shares of MERC stock opened at $6.11 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.22, a quick ratio of 2.17 and a current ratio of 3.46. The firm has a market cap of $408.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.78 and a beta of 1.34. Mercer International has a 52 week low of $5.33 and a 52 week high of $11.20. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $6.44 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $8.05.

Mercer International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 25th were paid a dividend of $0.075 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 25th. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.91%. Mercer International’s payout ratio is currently -8.75%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on MERC shares. StockNews.com raised Mercer International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 18th. CIBC cut their price target on Mercer International from $10.00 to $8.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Mercer International from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat, Mercer International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $9.38.

Insider Transactions at Mercer International

In other news, CEO Estrada Juan Carlos Bueno acquired 7,800 shares of Mercer International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $6.60 per share, with a total value of $51,480.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 67,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $446,259. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, Director Rainer Rettig purchased 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $6.24 per share, for a total transaction of $31,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 42,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $264,969.12. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Estrada Juan Carlos Bueno acquired 7,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $6.60 per share, for a total transaction of $51,480.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 67,615 shares in the company, valued at $446,259. This represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders purchased 41,300 shares of company stock valued at $252,650 over the last three months. Company insiders own 4.20% of the company’s stock.

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.