Analysts Set Expectations for Ashland Inc.’s Q4 2024 Earnings (NYSE:ASH)

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) – Equities researchers at Seaport Res Ptn upped their Q4 2024 EPS estimates for shares of Ashland in a note issued to investors on Monday, May 6th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst M. Harrison now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $1.57 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.55. The consensus estimate for Ashland’s current full-year earnings is $4.47 per share. Seaport Res Ptn also issued estimates for Ashland’s FY2025 earnings at $6.00 EPS.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.13. Ashland had a net margin of 9.09% and a return on equity of 5.57%. The firm had revenue of $575.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $574.64 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.43 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on ASH. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Ashland from $97.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Ashland from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Ashland from $114.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. TheStreet upgraded Ashland from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Ashland from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $106.44.

Ashland Price Performance

Ashland stock opened at $97.57 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $95.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $87.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 3.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.88 and a beta of 0.92. Ashland has a 1 year low of $70.82 and a 1 year high of $99.55.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ASH. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Ashland by 122.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 278 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Ashland in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Ashland by 143.9% in the fourth quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 378 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in Ashland by 338.0% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 403 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Ashland by 43.1% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 561 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

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.