Hecla Mining VP Sells $498K as EPS Misses Mount
Hecla Mining's VP of Sustainability sold approximately $498,000 in shares at prices above the current $20.38, while the executive suite recorded zero open-market purchases over the same 90-day period.
Hecla VP Sells $498K Amid Two Straight EPS Misses
NEW YORK, August 31 —
Hecla Mining Company (HL) is generating $342 million in free cash flow on a near-debt-free balance sheet, yet has missed EPS consensus two quarters running. Its VP of Sustainability sold $498,000 in shares at prices above today's level. Investors are left weighing which number better captures what the business is doing.
- TTM revenue of $1.74 billion, up 52.4% year-over-year, at a 61.4% gross margin
- $490 million in cash against $20 million in total debt; TTM free cash flow of $342 million
- Q2 2026 EPS of $0.17, missing consensus by 4.5%; Q1 2026 missed by 0.8%
Two Beats, Then Two Misses
Hecla Mining is a silver, gold, lead, and zinc miner selling concentrates, doré, and carbon material to smelters and traders across the U.S., Canada, Japan, Korea, and China. A 61.4% gross margin is not normally a number associated with cost trouble. Yet the company posted EPS of $0.17 in Q2 2026, missing consensus by 4.5% per its August 4 8-K, after missing by 0.8% in Q1 per its May 5 8-K. Two misses in a row after back-to-back beats in late 2025 signal something changed operationally. With trailing EPS of $0.83 and a forward P/E of 19.2x, investors have priced in improvement the last two quarters have not delivered.
Zero Buys, One Prominent Sale
Patrick Shay Malone, Hecla's VP of Sustainability, sold 23,994 shares on August 20 at $20.76 to $20.97, collecting approximately $498,000 in proceeds. Both prices sit above the stock's current $20.38. Across the 90-day window, the executive team recorded zero open-market purchases against approximately $500,000 in sales. CEO Robert Krcmarov's largest reported transaction was a tax-withholding disposition paired with a concurrent share grant, a compensation event rather than a discretionary signal. Insider sales have innocent explanations, but a VP exiting above current prices with no offsetting purchases anywhere in the executive suite compounds two consecutive EPS misses.
| Ticker | Mkt cap | Fwd P/E | 52-wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| HL | $13.7B | 19.2x | +128.5% |
| CDE | $21.7B | 10.3x | +54.7% |
| PAAS | $21.9B | 11.2x | +54.1% |
| AG | $10.2B | 20.4x | +116.0% |
| KGC | $37.1B | 10.2x | +45.7% |
| EXK | $3.2B | 9.1x | +65.5% |
What Q3 Must Deliver
The stock trades 12.8% below analyst consensus of $23.38, with $490 million in cash providing buffer against near-term capital needs. Jupiter Topco LLC's purchase of 697,375 shares, reported August 31, signals institutional appetite; 77.5% of shares sit with institutions. The case for the stock hinges on EPS returning to the beat cadence Hecla posted in late 2025: a third consecutive miss would confirm the high gross margin is not converting to per-share earnings growth, and the 19.2x forward P/E offers limited cushion. Use the DCF calculator to stress-test the cash-flow thesis, or run the free Hecla Mining Company deep-dive →
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Hecla Mining's VP selling shares?
Patrick Shay Malone, VP of Sustainability, sold 23,994 shares on August 20 at prices between $20.76 and $20.97, collecting approximately $498,000. Both sale prices sit above the stock's current $20.38. The executive team recorded zero open-market purchases against roughly $500,000 in sales over the same 90-day window.
Has Hecla Mining been missing EPS estimates?
Hecla posted EPS of $0.17 in Q2 2026, missing consensus by 4.5%, after missing by 0.8% in Q1 2026. Both misses follow back-to-back beats in late 2025, suggesting an operational shift. The stock carries a 19.2x forward P/E, pricing in improvement the last two quarters have not delivered.
What is Hecla Mining's free cash flow?
Hecla generated $342 million in trailing twelve-month free cash flow alongside $490 million in cash against only $20 million in total debt. Revenue reached $1.74 billion, up 52.4% year over year, at a 61.4% gross margin. The key question is whether that cash flow converts to per-share earnings growth in coming quarters.
What do analysts expect for Hecla Mining stock?
Analyst consensus stands at $23.38, placing the stock 12.8% below that target at its current $20.38. Jupiter Topco LLC reported purchasing 697,375 shares as of August 31, and 77.5% of shares are held by institutions. A third consecutive EPS miss would test whether the 19.2x forward P/E is justified.
What does Hecla Mining produce and sell?
Hecla Mining is a silver, gold, lead, and zinc miner that sells concentrates, doré, and carbon material to smelters and traders. Its customer base spans the U.S., Canada, Japan, Korea, and China. The company posted a 61.4% gross margin on trailing revenue of $1.74 billion.
Hecla Mining's VP of Sustainability sold roughly $498,000 in shares at $20.76–$20.97 on August 20 — at prices above the stock's current level — days after the silver and gold miner posted its second consecutive EPS miss. The open-market exit sits uneasily against a balance sheet carrying $342 million in free cash flow and virtually no debt, leaving investors to decide whether the top-line growth story has run ahead of execution.