B2Gold (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) Shares Up 16.3% After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

B2Gold Corp (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) (TSE:BTO)’s stock price shot up 16.3% on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $5.28 and last traded at $5.21. 14,922,562 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 60% from the average session volume of 37,337,367 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.48.

The basic materials company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.08. B2Gold had a return on equity of 18.12% and a net margin of 13.13%.During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.09 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 117.7% on a year-over-year basis.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on BTG shares. Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating on shares of B2Gold in a report on Monday, January 26th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of B2Gold in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On B2Gold

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BTG. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new stake in B2Gold during the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Parkway Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in B2Gold during the first quarter worth about $51,000. DGS Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in B2Gold during the first quarter worth about $50,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new stake in B2Gold during the first quarter worth about $50,000. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in B2Gold during the fourth quarter worth about $55,000. Institutional investors own 61.40% of the company’s stock.

B2Gold Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.47. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $4.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $4.78. The stock has a market cap of $6.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.60.

About B2Gold

B2Gold Corp. is a Canadian-based intermediate gold producer with a diversified portfolio of operating mines and advanced-stage development projects. Founded in 2007 through the merger of Bema Gold and CGA Mining, the company has grown to become one of the world’s largest new gold producers. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, B2Gold focuses on efficient, low-cost operations across several continents, combining exploration, development and production within a single strategic framework.

The company’s flagship assets include the Fekola mine in Mali, which commenced production in 2017, the Otjikoto mine in Namibia, and the Masbate mine in the Philippines.