Hecla Mining’s Chief Executive Officer, Rob Krcmarov, told Closing Bell Overtime that central bank demand is powering gold’s rally, while silver’s momentum is rooted in a tightening supply profile. He cited data showing global central bank net purchases of 500 tonnes of gold over the past year, the highest level since 1967, and forecast that silver production from top primary miners will contract by 3% in the coming 12 months due to rising input costs and declining ore grades.

In its latest SEC filing, Abbington Investment Group reported the acquisition of 138,357 shares of Hecla Mining during the third quarter, representing a cash outlay of roughly $1.67 million. This position now accounts for 1.4% of Abbington’s total portfolio and is its 26th largest holding, underscoring growing institutional confidence in the company’s precious metals operations.

Several funds revised their Hecla stakes in the third quarter. Lesa Sroufe & Co increased its position by 0.8% to 472,476 shares, investing an additional $5.7 million. The Louisiana State Employees Retirement System initiated a $3.7 million holding, while D.A. Davidson & Co expanded its stake by 127.4% to 188,468 shares, a $2.28 million position. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors opened a $195,000 position and U.S. Global Investors added 50,000 shares to reach 600,000 shares valued at $7.26 million. Institutional ownership now stands at 63.01%.

Hecla reported third-quarter earnings per share of $0.12, beating consensus by $0.01, on revenue of $409.5 million, 30% above analyst estimates and a 67.1% year-over-year increase. Net margin was 16.35% with return on equity of 7.87%. The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0038 per share (annualized yield of 0.1%), reflecting a payout ratio of 3.23%. On the analyst front, two firms maintain Buy ratings, six hold, one Sell, with an average price objective of $10.22.