Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $93.50.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on ASH. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Ashland from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. StockNews.com cut Ashland from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Ashland from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of Ashland from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Ashland from $81.00 to $68.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th.

Ashland Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ASH opened at $59.54 on Friday. Ashland has a 52 week low of $56.46 and a 52 week high of $102.50. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $67.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $77.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 2.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market cap of $2.81 billion, a P/E ratio of -90.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.89.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.79 by ($0.51). Ashland had a negative net margin of 1.12% and a positive return on equity of 7.41%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.45 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Ashland will post 4.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, March 1st will be given a dividend of $0.405 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.72%. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -245.45%.

Insider Activity at Ashland

In related news, CEO Guillermo Novo purchased 31,294 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $64.24 per share, with a total value of $2,010,326.56. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 31,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,010,326.56. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ashland

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ashland in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Ashland in the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new position in Ashland in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in Ashland by 610.5% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 540 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of Ashland during the 4th quarter worth approximately $56,000. 93.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ashland Company Profile

Ashland Inc provides additives and specialty ingredients in the North and Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates through Life Sciences, Personal Care, Specialty Additives, and Intermediates segments. The Life Sciences segment offers pharmaceutical solutions, including controlled release polymers, disintegrants, tablet coatings, thickeners, solubilizers, and tablet binders; nutrition solutions, such as thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and additives; and nutraceutical solutions comprising products for weight management, joint comfort, stomach and intestinal health, sports nutrition, and general wellness, as well as custom formulation, toll processing, and particle engineering solutions.