Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The basic materials company reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.27 by ($0.15), Zacks reports. Ashland had a net margin of 0.21% and a return on equity of 8.14%. The company had revenue of $996.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $501.76 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.08 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ashland Price Performance

Ashland stock opened at $76.28 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.49 billion, a PE ratio of 953.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a current ratio of 3.05, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $71.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $64.03. Ashland has a 12 month low of $47.12 and a 12 month high of $78.25.

Ashland Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio is 147.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ASH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Ashland from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Ashland from $83.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ashland in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ashland from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Ashland from $58.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.10.

Key Headlines Impacting Ashland

Here are the key news stories impacting Ashland this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ashland forecast fiscal 2027 sales of $1.905 billion–$1.975 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $405 million–$435 million. Fourth-quarter sales rose 4% year over year to $498 million, volumes increased 3%, and adjusted EBITDA grew 2% to $121 million. Ashland fiscal 2026 results and fiscal 2027 outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Cash flow was a bright spot: operating cash flow was $90 million and ongoing free cash flow was $74 million. Management expects fiscal 2027 capital spending of up to $140 million, which could support investment but is also a use of cash. Ashland fiscal 2027 targets and capital spending
• Neutral Sentiment: Growth in Life Sciences, Personal Care and Intermediates was partly offset by weaker Specialty Additives results, leaving performance uneven across businesses. Ashland fiscal 2026 results
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted EPS of $1.12 missed analyst expectations of about $1.27, while Ashland reported a $16 million net loss for the quarter. The earnings shortfall and loss are headwinds, despite year-over-year growth in sales and adjusted EBITDA. Ashland swings to Q4 net loss and issues fiscal 2027 outlook

About Ashland

Ashland Inc is a global specialty materials company that develops and supplies functional ingredients, additives and solutions for industrial and consumer markets. Its products are used to enhance the performance, stability, texture, appearance and processing of finished goods.

The company serves a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, personal care, coatings, construction, food and beverages, adhesives and specialty chemicals. Its portfolio includes polymers, cellulose-based ingredients, rheology modifiers, film-forming agents, preservatives and other specialty additives used in applications such as drug delivery, skin and hair care, architectural coatings and building materials.

Ashland traces its roots to 1924, when it was established as Ashland Refining Company in Kentucky.