Rising output strengthens their appeal

Article Excerpt

HECLA MINING COMPANY $4.12 (New York symbol HL; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (208-769- 4100; www.hecla-mining.com; Shares o/s: 380.8 million; Market cap: $1.8 billion; Dividend yield: 0.2%) explores for, mines and processes silver and gold in the U.S. and Mexico. Most of the company’s silver output comes from three sites: the Greens Creek mine in Alaska; the Lucky Friday project in Idaho; and the San Sebastian mine in Mexico. Hecla’s Casa Berardi mine in Quebec, which it bought for $796 million in June 2013, supplies its gold. In the three months ended March 31, 2016, Hecla’s gold output rose 36.7%, to 55,688 ounces from 40,650. It produced 4.6 million ounces of silver—up 61.3% from 2.9 million a year earlier. The rise came from higher ore grades at its mines, as well as output from its new San Sebastian mine in Mexico. The company started up San Sebastian in December 2015. The facility is forecast to produce eight million ounces of silver…