Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.09 EPS

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) released its earnings results on Tuesday. The basic materials company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by ($0.09), Zacks reports. Ashland had a positive return on equity of 6.82% and a negative net margin of 46.01%.The firm had revenue of $478.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $481.97 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.26 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Ashland updated its FY 2026 guidance to EPS.

Ashland Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of ASH stock traded down $0.33 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $50.42. 31,221 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 646,852. Ashland has a 1-year low of $45.21 and a 1-year high of $82.89. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $50.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $51.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 2.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.30 billion, a PE ratio of -2.68, a PEG ratio of 11.41 and a beta of 0.49.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 1st were issued a dividend of $0.415 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 29th. This represents a $1.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. Ashland’s payout ratio is currently -8.86%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASH. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Ashland by 284.3% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,454,646 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $172,318,000 after buying an additional 2,555,585 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC increased its stake in Ashland by 353.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 250,085 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $12,574,000 after buying an additional 194,880 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its stake in Ashland by 32.5% in the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 575,146 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,918,000 after buying an additional 140,957 shares during the period. AXA S.A. acquired a new position in Ashland in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,957,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in Ashland by 322.9% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 151,772 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $8,999,000 after buying an additional 115,883 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on ASH shares. Mizuho lowered their target price on Ashland from $58.00 to $54.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 3rd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Ashland from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ashland from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Argus dropped their target price 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. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Ashland from $73.00 to $64.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $60.43.

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.