Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) had its price target upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $80.00 to $82.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 7.39% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research firms have also commented on ASH. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Ashland from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Ashland from $83.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $75.00 price objective on Ashland in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Mizuho upped their target price on Ashland from $75.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Ashland from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ashland currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $74.80.

Ashland Price Performance

NYSE ASH traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $76.36. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,264,308 shares, compared to its average volume of 770,582. The stock has a market cap of $3.50 billion, a PE ratio of 954.46, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.36. Ashland has a fifty-two week low of $48.00 and a fifty-two week high of $78.25. The company’s 50-day moving average is $71.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $64.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a current ratio of 3.05.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The basic materials company reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.27 by ($0.15). The business had revenue of $996.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $501.76 million. Ashland had a net margin of 0.21% and a return on equity of 8.14%. The business’s revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.08 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Ashland will post 4.21 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ashland during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,275,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Ashland by 7.8% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 308,628 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $17,163,000 after buying an additional 22,288 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ashland by 648,370.7% during the second quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 1,945,412 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $128,183,000 after buying an additional 1,945,112 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in shares of Ashland in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,769,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Ashland in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,256,000. 93.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Ashland News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ashland this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Ashland forecast fiscal 2027 sales of $1.905 billion–$1.975 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $405 million–$435 million. The targets provide forward guidance, but the articles do not give enough context to determine how they compare with prior expectations. Article: Ashland targets fiscal 2027 sales and adjusted EBITDA
• Negative Sentiment: Ashland’s fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.12 missed analysts’ estimates, and reports also said revenue fell short. The company swung to a GAAP net loss, with weakness tied in part to the Hopewell site—factors that may pressure sentiment about recent performance. Article: Ashland misses Q4 earnings and revenue estimates Article: Ashland swings to Q4 net loss and issues FY27 outlook
• Negative Sentiment: The fiscal 2027 plan includes capital spending of up to $140 million. Higher investment could weigh on near-term cash flow, although it may support the business over time. Article: Ashland fiscal 2027 outlook and capital spending

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.