Virtu Financial LLC Invests $698,000 in Aura Minerals Inc. $AUGO

Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in Aura Minerals Inc. (NASDAQ:AUGO) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 13,849 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $698,000.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in Aura Minerals during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in Aura Minerals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Hollencrest Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Aura Minerals by 307.7% in the fourth quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 795 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Aura Minerals in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Shell Asset Management Co. bought a new position in shares of Aura Minerals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000.

Aura Minerals Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of AUGO stock opened at $65.26 on Tuesday. Aura Minerals Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.24 and a 12-month high of $110.32. The company has a market capitalization of $5.47 billion and a PE ratio of 60.43. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $78.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $70.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03.

Aura Minerals (NASDAQ:AUGO) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The company reported $999.00 EPS for the quarter. Aura Minerals had a return on equity of 111.96% and a net margin of 7.80%. As a group, analysts predict that Aura Minerals Inc. will post 10.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Aura Minerals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 19th were issued a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 19th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.8%. This is a positive change from Aura Minerals’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. Aura Minerals’s payout ratio is currently 288.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AUGO. Zacks Research lowered Aura Minerals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Aura Minerals in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $105.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Aura Minerals from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Aura Minerals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $67.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Mauad Bruno Sousa sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.48, for a total value of $7,748,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 434,965 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $33,701,088.20. The trade was a 18.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Rodrigo Cardoso Barbosa sold 60,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.43, for a total transaction of $4,885,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 794,745 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $64,716,085.35. The trade was a 7.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 295,392 shares of company stock worth $23,621,436.

Aura Minerals Company Profile

We are an Americas gold and copper production company with a significant portfolio of mining operations. Our mission is to deliver long-term value by unlocking operational efficiencies, responsibly growing our portfolio with a focus on return on invested capital, responsible mining practices and a commitment to sustainability. We operate with a decentralized culture, supported by a lean corporate team that ensures agile and dynamic management and decision-making processes, focused on high operational sustainability compliance standards.