BTG Pactual Asset Management US LLC Invests $2.13 Million in AngloGold Ashanti PLC $AU

BTG Pactual Asset Management US LLC purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 26,380 shares of the mining company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,134,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AU. Quantitative Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 122.2% during the 2nd quarter. Quantitative Investment Management LLC now owns 10,766 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $870,000 after purchasing an additional 5,920 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,930,737 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $156,214,000 after buying an additional 154,726 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $19,078,000. Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti in the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Ninepoint Partners LP bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti in the second quarter worth approximately $6,030,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 36.09% of the company’s stock.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

Shares of AngloGold Ashanti stock opened at $113.38 on Monday. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 52 week low of $55.08 and a 52 week high of $129.14. The company has a quick ratio of 2.11, a current ratio of 2.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $89.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.19. The company has a market cap of $57.24 billion, a PE ratio of 15.20 and a beta of 0.66.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The mining company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.03 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.20 billion. AngloGold Ashanti had a net margin of 32.19% and a return on equity of 39.54%. Equities analysts anticipate that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 8.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.72 per share. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 21st. AngloGold Ashanti’s payout ratio is currently 6.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded AngloGold Ashanti from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Weiss Ratings cut AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Freedom Capital raised shares of AngloGold Ashanti to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $134.00 to $128.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Roth Capital lowered their price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $121.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AngloGold Ashanti has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $110.50.

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.