First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (TSE:FM) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (TSE:FM) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the seventeen research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$21.57.

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. TD Securities increased their price target on shares of First Quantum Minerals from C$19.00 to C$20.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of First Quantum Minerals from C$22.00 to C$21.50 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut shares of First Quantum Minerals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from C$24.00 to C$20.00 in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of First Quantum Minerals from C$23.00 to C$24.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on shares of First Quantum Minerals from C$25.00 to C$23.40 in a report on Thursday, January 30th.

First Quantum Minerals Stock Performance

Shares of TSE:FM opened at C$17.86 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of C$10.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -1.28 and a beta of 1.73. The company has a 50-day moving average price of C$18.80 and a 200-day moving average price of C$18.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 56.41. First Quantum Minerals has a 12 month low of C$12.77 and a 12 month high of C$21.45.

First Quantum Minerals (TSE:FM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported C$0.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.03 by C$0.01. First Quantum Minerals had a negative net margin of 32.41% and a negative return on equity of 14.05%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($0.37) earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that First Quantum Minerals will post 0.55872 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Simon John Scott purchased 1,397 shares of First Quantum Minerals stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 31st. The shares were bought at an average cost of C$18.57 per share, for a total transaction of C$25,942.29. Also, Director Charles Kevin Mcarthur purchased 25,000 shares of First Quantum Minerals stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was bought at an average price of C$17.23 per share, for a total transaction of C$430,842.13. Insiders own 19.35% of the company’s stock.

First Quantum Minerals Company Profile

First Quantum Minerals Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties. It primarily explores for copper, nickel, pyrite, silver, gold, and zinc ores, as well as produces acid. The company has operating mines located in Zambia, Panama, Finland, Turkey, Spain, Australia, and Mauritania, as well as a development project in Zambia.