Stable Production Gives These Two an Edge

Article Excerpt

HECLA MINING COMPANY $2.23 (New York symbol HL; SI Rating: Extra risk) (208-769-4100; www.hecla-mining.com; Shares outstanding: 169.5 million; Market cap: $378.0 million) explores for, mines and processes silver and gold in the U.S. and Mexico. Earlier this year, the company paid Rio Tinto plc $750 million for the 70.3% interest in the Greens Creek mine in Alaska that it didn’t already own. Greens Creek is the fifth-largest silver mine in the world. Hecla expects to produce 9 million ounces of silver in 2008, mostly from the Greens Creek mine and its 100%-owned Lucky Friday mine in Idaho. Production should rise to over 10 million ounces next year. Lower metals prices hurt cash flow In the three months ended September 30, 2008, Hecla’s revenues rose 62.1%, to $64.5 million from $39.8 million a year earlier. The increase was largely due to the acquisition of Greens Creek. Cash flow per share fell 58.8%, to $0.07 from $0.17. That decline came from lower prices for silver as…