American Century Slashes B2Gold Stake by Almost 20%

Did American Century Companies Trim Its B2Gold Stake by Nearly 20%?

American Century Companies Inc. made a significant reduction in its B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG) holdings during the third quarter, as revealed in its latest 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund's ownership of B2Gold shares declined by 19.6%, with 1,283,496 shares sold, leaving it with 5,276,138 shares at the end of the quarter. The value of American Century Companies Inc.'s B2Gold stake stood at $15,230,000 at the end of the period.

Are Other Institutional Investors and Hedge Funds Joining the B2Gold Fray?

B2Gold has also witnessed recent activity from other institutional investors and hedge funds. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. initiated a position in the company during the fourth quarter, with a value of approximately $36,000. Power Corp of Canada entered the picture in the first quarter, acquiring a stake worth $49,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. and MML Investors Services LLC also established new positions in B2Gold during the third quarter, valued at $35,000 and $40,000, respectively. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC took a more aggressive approach, increasing its position by 831.8% in the first quarter. The firm now holds 12,887 shares of B2Gold, worth $51,000, after purchasing an additional 11,504 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 51.52% of B2Gold's outstanding stock.

How Has B2Gold's Stock Performance Fared?

B2Gold's stock price fluctuated during midday trading on Friday, dipping by $0.01 to $2.50. The company's volume of 4,473,486 shares traded was significantly lower than its average volume of 10,709,650 shares. B2Gold Corp. has a 52-week range of $2.34 to $4.40, with a 50-day moving average of $2.97. The company's financial ratios include a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 2.27, and a quick ratio of 1.16. B2Gold's market capitalization stands at $3.25 billion, while its price-to-earnings ratio is 124.81, its PEG ratio is 4.43, and its beta is 1.08.

B2Gold's Financial Results: Meeting Expectations or Falling Short?

B2Gold released its quarterly earnings report on Thursday, February 22nd. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.07 for the quarter, falling short of the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.01. B2Gold's net margin was 0.31%, while its return on equity was 9.09%. The company's revenue for the quarter was $511.97 million, marginally below the consensus estimate of $512.00 million. In the same quarter of the previous year, B2Gold reported EPS of $0.15. The company's quarterly revenue has declined by 13.6% year-over-year. Analysts project that B2Gold Corp. will generate EPS of 0.2 for the current fiscal year.

B2Gold Announces Dividend: A Sweetener for Investors?

B2Gold recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was distributed on Wednesday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 7th received a dividend of $0.04 per share. This translates to an annualized dividend of $0.16 and a dividend yield of 6.41%. The ex-dividend date for this dividend was Wednesday, March 6th. B2Gold's payout ratio currently stands at 400.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Weigh In: Buy, Hold, or Sell?

B2Gold has garnered attention from several research analysts. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on the company on Thursday, February 29th, with a "buy" rating and a $3.50 price objective. Raymond James downgraded B2Gold from "outperform" to "hold" on Tuesday, November 28th, and lowered its price target from $5.00 to $4.50. CIBC took a similar approach, downgrading B2Gold from "outperform" to "neutral" on Thursday, January 25th, and reducing its price target from $4.20 to $3.60. Three research analysts have assigned a "hold" rating to B2Gold, while three have recommended a "buy." According to MarketBeat.com, B2Gold currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $5.23.