StockNews.com Downgrades Ashland (NYSE:ASH) to Hold

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Thursday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Ashland from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Ashland from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on Ashland from $116.00 to $107.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $102.00.

Ashland Trading Up 0.9 %

Ashland stock opened at $74.78 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.44. The stock has a market cap of $3.52 billion, a PE ratio of 22.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.86. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $81.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $88.03. Ashland has a one year low of $72.83 and a one year high of $102.50.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The basic materials company reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.28 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $522.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $524.07 million. Ashland had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 7.43%. The business’s revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Ashland will post 4.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Ashland

In other Ashland news, SVP Robin E. Lampkin sold 868 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.90, for a total value of $67,617.20. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,883 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $224,585.70. This trade represents a 23.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Eric N. Boni sold 451 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.07, for a total value of $35,209.57. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 14,182 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,107,188.74. The trade was a 3.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ashland

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Ashland in the third quarter valued at about $3,134,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Ashland during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $713,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Ashland by 2.3% during the second quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 671,948 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $63,492,000 after acquiring an additional 14,938 shares during the last quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ashland in the second quarter worth approximately $2,442,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of Ashland by 138.6% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 120,741 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $10,501,000 after purchasing an additional 70,145 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

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.