What is Seaport Res Ptn’s Estimate for Ashland Q2 Earnings?

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) – Seaport Res Ptn cut their Q2 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Ashland in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, March 5th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst M. Harrison now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $1.20 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $1.22. Seaport Res Ptn currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Ashland’s current full-year earnings is $4.27 per share.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 prior year, the firm posted $0.45 earnings per share.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on ASH. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Ashland from $95.00 to $93.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Ashland from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Ashland from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Ashland from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $93.50.

Ashland Price Performance

Ashland stock opened at $59.54 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $67.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $77.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.52 and a quick ratio of 1.27. The company has a market capitalization of $2.81 billion, a PE ratio of -90.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.89. Ashland has a one year low of $56.46 and a one year high of $102.50.

Ashland Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Ashland

In other Ashland news, CEO Guillermo Novo bought 31,294 shares of Ashland stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The shares were bought at an average price 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 trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ashland

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ASH. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Ashland by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,928,924 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $352,221,000 after acquiring an additional 66,530 shares during the last quarter. Eminence Capital LP increased its holdings in Ashland by 8.0% in the fourth quarter. Eminence Capital LP now owns 2,860,471 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $204,409,000 after purchasing an additional 212,916 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Ashland by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,818,695 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $201,423,000 after buying an additional 44,018 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in Ashland by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,806,922 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $200,583,000 after buying an additional 208,320 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Ashland by 16.1% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 1,022,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $73,074,000 after buying an additional 142,121 shares during the period. 93.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.