Hecla Mining Is a Silver Leader

Article Excerpt

HECLA MINING COMPANY $8.71 (New York symbol HL; SI Rating: Extra risk) (208-769-4100; www.hecla-mining.com; Shares outstanding: 127.4 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion) explores for, mines and processes silver and gold in the U.S. and Mexico. The Idaho-based company has been in business for 117 years. Hecla produced 5.6 million ounces of silver in 2007, mostly from its 29.7%-owned Greens Creek mine in Alaska (2.6 million ounces) and its 100%- owned Lucky Friday mine in Idaho (3 million ounces). The company recently paid Rio Tinto plc $750 million for the 70.3% interest in the Greens Creek Mine that it didn’t already own. Greens Creek is the fifth-largest silver mine in the world. Hecla now expects its silver output to rise to 11 million ounces per year by 2009. Venezuelan sale cuts risk Hecla produced 87,490 ounces of gold in 2007 (worth approximately $61 million) from its La Camorra mining unit in Venezuela. However, the company is now selling its Venezuelan assets to Rusoro Mining for…