The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Buys New Position in Aya Gold & Silver Inc. $AYA

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in shares of Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (NASDAQ:AYA) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor bought 154,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,924,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AYA. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter valued at about $502,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $557,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $663,000. Cibc World Market Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,509,000. Finally, Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new stake in Aya Gold & Silver during the second quarter worth approximately $5,145,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on AYA shares. Zacks Research raised Aya Gold & Silver from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Desjardins upgraded Aya Gold & Silver to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Scotiabank upgraded Aya Gold & Silver to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Aya Gold & Silver from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Aya Gold & Silver Price Performance

Shares of AYA opened at $26.37 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $22.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.80 billion and a PE ratio of 47.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a current ratio of 2.02. Aya Gold & Silver Inc. has a one year low of $15.84 and a one year high of $30.24.

Aya Gold & Silver (NASDAQ:AYA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.13). Aya Gold & Silver had a net margin of 32.92% and a return on equity of 25.49%. Analysts anticipate that Aya Gold & Silver Inc. will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current year.

About Aya Gold & Silver

Aya Gold & Silver is a precious metals company focused on the exploration, development, and production of silver and gold. The company is best known for its operations in Morocco, where it is advancing and operating assets within the country’s mining sector.

The company’s business activities center on identifying, developing, and optimizing mineral resources, with an emphasis on silver production and related byproducts. Aya Gold & Silver is involved in the full mining lifecycle, from exploration and resource definition through to mine development and operations.

Founded as a Canadian mining company, Aya Gold & Silver has built its portfolio around North African mineral assets and continues to concentrate on expanding its presence in Morocco.