Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) Receives $9.67 Consensus PT from Brokerages

Shares of Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $9.67.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com lowered Mercer International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Raymond James boosted their price target on Mercer International from $8.50 to $10.50 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Finally, TD Securities boosted their price target on Mercer International from $10.00 to $10.50 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th.

Mercer International Stock Performance

Shares of MERC stock opened at $8.01 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $9.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.20. Mercer International has a one year low of $7.01 and a one year high of $11.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $535.47 million, a PE ratio of -2.34 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.82, a current ratio of 3.74 and a quick ratio of 2.38.

Mercer International (NASDAQ:MERC) (TSE:MRI.U) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 9th. The basic materials company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter. Mercer International had a negative return on equity of 26.21% and a negative net margin of 11.27%. The business had revenue of $553.43 million for the quarter. As a group, research analysts forecast that Mercer International will post -0.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Mercer International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 26th were given a dividend of $0.075 per share. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.75%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 26th. Mercer International’s payout ratio is -8.75%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mercer International

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Mercer International during the first quarter worth approximately $193,000. Everence Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Mercer International in the 1st quarter valued at $261,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in Mercer International by 17.5% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 40,488 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $384,000 after buying an additional 6,042 shares during the last quarter. 85.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.