Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Releases Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.02 EPS

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The basic materials company reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.28 by ($0.02), Briefing.com reports. The company had revenue of $522.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $524.07 million. Ashland had a net margin of 7.01% and a return on equity of 5.98%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.41 earnings per share. Ashland updated its FY 2025 guidance to EPS.

Ashland Trading Down 7.6 %

Shares of ASH traded down $6.68 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $80.70. 1,535,852 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 419,448. Ashland has a 12-month low of $71.55 and a 12-month high of $102.50. The firm has a market cap of $3.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.56, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.88. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $86.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $91.74. The company has a current ratio of 2.98, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Ashland Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, September 1st were given a $0.405 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.01%. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio is 54.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on ASH shares. UBS Group cut their price target on Ashland from $116.00 to $107.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. StockNews.com downgraded Ashland from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ashland from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $90.00 to $89.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Ashland from $105.00 to $92.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Ashland from $112.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.50.

About Ashland

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.