Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.51 EPS

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The basic materials company reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by ($0.51), RTT News reports. Ashland had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 7.43%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.45 earnings per share. Ashland updated its FY 2025 guidance to EPS.

Ashland Stock Down 0.2 %

Ashland stock opened at $71.00 on Wednesday. Ashland has a 1-year low of $68.14 and a 1-year high of $102.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 2.44 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The stock has a market cap of $3.34 billion, a PE ratio of 21.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.87. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $73.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $82.21.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, March 1st will be paid a $0.405 dividend. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.28%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ASH. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Ashland from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Ashland from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Ashland from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $102.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ashland

In related news, VP Eric N. Boni sold 451 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.07, for a total transaction of $35,209.57. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,182 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,107,188.74. This trade represents a 3.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Robin E. Lampkin sold 868 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.90, for a total value of $67,617.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,883 shares in the company, valued at approximately $224,585.70. This represents a 23.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.