Seaport Res Ptn Issues Negative Outlook for Ashland Earnings

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) – Analysts at Seaport Res Ptn reduced their Q4 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Ashland in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, September 29th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst M. Harrison now anticipates that the basic materials company will earn $1.67 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.79. The consensus estimate for Ashland’s current full-year earnings is $4.27 per share.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.11). Ashland had a negative net margin of 46.01% and a positive return on equity of 6.82%. The firm had revenue of $463.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $479.34 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.49 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. Ashland has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group cut their price target on Ashland from $73.00 to $64.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 7th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Ashland from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Ashland in a research note on Monday, September 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ashland from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. Finally, Argus lowered their price target on shares of Ashland from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ashland has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.43.

Ashland Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:ASH opened at $48.50 on Thursday. Ashland has a 52-week low of $45.21 and a 52-week high of $88.89. The company has a market capitalization of $2.22 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.70 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $52.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.68.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 1st were given a dividend of $0.415 per share. This represents a $1.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 29th. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio is presently -8.86%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ashland

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caldwell Trust Co acquired a new position in Ashland in the 2nd quarter valued at $62,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Ashland by 17.6% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 2,786 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $140,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in shares of Ashland by 17.5% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 83,764 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,212,000 after purchasing an additional 12,504 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in Ashland by 38.5% during the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 15,318 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $770,000 after buying an additional 4,255 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Ashland by 59.0% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 671 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. 93.95% of the stock is 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.