AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) Trading Up 6.5% – Still a Buy?

AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU) was up 6.5% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $111.77 and last traded at $113.1820. Approximately 675,958 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 72% from the average daily volume of 2,436,878 shares. The stock had previously closed at $106.26.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AU shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $128.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Roth Mkm boosted their price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 13th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on AngloGold Ashanti from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AngloGold Ashanti currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.00.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Up 1.9%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 2.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $88.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $71.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.84 and a beta of 0.58.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 12th. The mining company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by ($0.02). AngloGold Ashanti had a net margin of 26.25% and a return on equity of 24.01%. The company had revenue of $2.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 28th were paid a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. AngloGold Ashanti’s dividend payout ratio is currently 80.18%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 129.0% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 490 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 276 shares during the last quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors acquired a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 33.4% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 599 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. 36.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AngloGold Ashanti Company Profile

AngloGold Ashanti is a global gold mining company engaged in the exploration, development, production, processing and sale of gold. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company’s core activities span the full mining value chain from greenfield exploration and mine development through to ore processing and rehabilitation. Gold is the primary commodity produced, with individual operations sometimes yielding other by‑products depending on local geology and processing methods.

The company was formed in 2004 through the merger of AngloGold and Ashanti Goldfields, creating a diversified international gold producer.