HM
HECLA MINING CO/DE/ (HL)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Record quarter: Revenue $409.5m (+35% q/q), net income to common $100.6m ($0.15 diluted EPS), and Adjusted EBITDA $195.7m — all company records; net leverage fell to 0.3x after fully repaying the revolver and redeeming $212m of notes .
- Results beat Wall Street: Revenue $409.5m vs $324.1m consensus; Primary EPS $0.12 actual vs $0.095 consensus; EBITDA $203.4m actual vs $138.8m consensus — driven by higher realized metal prices and increased precious metals sales volumes; reported diluted EPS was $0.15 (definition differences vs “Primary EPS”) . S&P Global estimates marked with asterisks below.*
- Guidance tightened: 2025 consolidated silver 16.2–17.0 Moz; gold 145–150 koz; mines tightened production ranges; Lucky Friday cost guidance raised; Casa Berardi total cost of sales raised to $205m; capital/exploration guidance unchanged .
- Stock catalysts: Strong price realizations (late-quarter shipments and adoption of collars), broad-based FCF across all mines, deleveraging, and permitting wins (Greens Creek tailings, Libby project FONSI) .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Record financial performance and deleveraging: “We delivered revenues of $410 million, net income of $101 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of $196 million… net leverage ratio has decreased to just 0.3x… revolver fully repaid” — Rob Krcmarov .
- Broad-based free cash flow: All four producing assets generated positive FCF for the second straight quarter (Greens Creek ~$74.5m; Casa Berardi ~$35.5m; Lucky Friday ~$13.5m; Keno Hill ~$8.3m) .
- Operational momentum and permitting: Greens Creek authorization for dry stack tailings expansion; improved power reliability at Keno Hill; Libby project FONSI advancing copper-silver exploration .
What Went Wrong
- Cost pressure at Lucky Friday: Cash cost/AISC rose to $9.33/$23.30 per silver ounce due to profit-sharing, insurance, medical, and labor costs; cost mitigation plans under evaluation .
- Working capital headwinds: Operating cash flow flat q/q at $148.0m despite higher profits, impacted by $61.0m AR build (timing of Greens Creek shipments) and semi-annual interest payment; FCF down to $90.1m from $103.8m q/q .
- Silver AISC consolidated increased to $11.01/oz (after by-product credits) q/q, driven by planned sustaining capital and treatment charges; silver by-product credits declined vs prior quarter .
Financial Results
Consolidated performance vs prior periods
Margins trajectory
Actuals vs S&P Global Wall Street consensus (Q3 2025)
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Segment breakdown (Q3 2025)
KPIs (Q3 2025)
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Our third quarter results represent a defining moment… quarterly revenues of $410 million, net income of $101 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of $196 million… net leverage ratio has decreased to just 0.3x… revolving credit facility is fully repaid” — Rob Krcmarov .
- CFO on realizations/hedging: “Greens Creek shipments later in the quarter… we started to utilize more collars… allowing investors to enjoy more upside” — Russell Lawlar .
- COO on operations: “Greens Creek… cash costs negative $8.50 per silver ounce and AISC of -$2.55… Free cash flow nearly $75 million” .
- Exploration VP: “We’re developing a comprehensive Nevada strategy… exploration update later this month… heightened activity in Nevada next year” — Kurt Allen .
Q&A Highlights
- Cost inflation and labor: Inflation muted but labor tightness requires competitiveness; some tariff impacts on imported capital components; exploration drilling costs up modestly .
- Keno Hill commercial production: Five criteria; only silver recoveries met; commercial around 2027 at ~345–385 tpd with nameplate in 2028 pending water discharge approvals .
- Guidance bounds: Company models imply Greens Creek’s Q4 near ~2 Moz; policy avoids quarter-specific guidance even with strong YTD .
- Price realizations: Late-quarter shipments and provisional hedging via collars boosted realized prices .
Estimates Context
- Revenue beat: $409.5m vs $324.1m consensus; driven by higher realized prices and higher precious metals volumes while lead/zinc volumes softened .*
- EPS beat: Primary EPS $0.12 actual vs $0.095 consensus; reported diluted EPS $0.15 — note definitional differences between “Primary EPS” and diluted EPS .*
- EBITDA beat: $203.4m actual vs $138.8m consensus; Adjusted EBITDA reported $195.7m .*
- Estimate dispersion: Only ~2 revenue estimates and ~5 EPS estimates, suggesting potential for larger post-print revisions given low coverage breadth.*
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Key Takeaways for Investors
- The quarter delivered record revenue, EPS, and Adjusted EBITDA with a sharp deleveraging to 0.3x; balance sheet flexibility increases optionality for exploration, targeted growth capex, and potential shareholder returns .
- Beats versus consensus were broad (revenue, EPS, EBITDA) due to timing of shipments and hedging strategy changes; narrative supports estimate upgrades, especially on margins and FCF .*
- Greens Creek remains the cash engine; Keno Hill’s consecutive FCF positives and improved power reliability reduce operational risk; timing to commercial is clarified (2027/2028) .
- Lucky Friday’s cost uptick is identifiable and being addressed; silver price strength and grade support unit economics even as AISC rose q/q .
- Casa Berardi guidance raised for gold output with higher total cost of sales; near-term FCF outlook remains constructive at current gold prices; strategic alternatives continue to be evaluated .
- Permitting momentum (Greens Creek tailings, Libby FONSI) de-risks long-duration assets; capital guidance steady supports disciplined allocation .
- Near-term trading: Positive momentum from beats and deleveraging; watch Q4 shipment timing, realized prices, and any incremental guidance at the upcoming investor/strategy update .
Non-GAAP notes: Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, cash cost and AISC definitions and reconciliations provided in the release **[719413_0001193125-25-267085_hl-ex99_1.htm:17]** **[719413_0001193125-25-267085_hl-ex99_1.htm:18]** **[719413_0001193125-25-267085_hl-ex99_1.htm:27]** **[719413_0001193125-25-267085_hl-ex99_1.htm:41]**.