860,000 Shares in Aya Gold & Silver Inc. $AYA Bought by Groupe la Francaise

Groupe la Francaise purchased a new stake in Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (NASDAQ:AYA) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 860,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,294,000. Groupe la Francaise owned approximately 0.60% of Aya Gold & Silver at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec bought a new stake in shares of Aya Gold & Silver in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,486,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in shares of Aya Gold & Silver during the second quarter worth about $26,946,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new position in Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter worth about $5,145,000. Van ECK Associates Corp acquired a new position in Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter worth about $193,481,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in Aya Gold & Silver in the second quarter valued at about $2,924,000.

Aya Gold & Silver Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AYA opened at $28.91 on Monday. Aya Gold & Silver Inc. has a 12-month low of $15.84 and a 12-month high of $30.24. The company has a market cap of $4.16 billion and a P/E ratio of 51.62. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The business has a 50 day moving average of $23.17.

Aya Gold & Silver (NASDAQ:AYA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.13). Aya Gold & Silver had a return on equity of 25.49% and a net margin of 32.92%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Aya Gold & Silver Inc. will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Desjardins raised 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 research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Aya Gold & Silver in a report on Monday, August 31st. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Aya Gold & Silver from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Aya Gold & Silver presently has an average rating of “Buy”.

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.