Seaport Res Ptn Forecasts Ashland’s Q2 Earnings (NYSE:ASH)

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) – Seaport Res Ptn dropped their Q2 2025 EPS estimates for shares of Ashland in a report released on Wednesday, January 29th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst M. Harrison now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $1.22 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $1.27. The consensus estimate for Ashland’s current full-year earnings is $4.31 per share. Seaport Res Ptn also issued estimates for Ashland’s Q3 2025 earnings at $1.51 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $1.51 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $4.52 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $5.89 EPS.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by ($0.51). Ashland had a negative net margin of 1.12% and a positive return on equity of 7.17%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.45 earnings per share.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Ashland from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Ashland from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Ashland from $81.00 to $68.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Ashland from $95.00 to $93.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ashland from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.57.

Ashland Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ASH opened at $63.61 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $72.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $81.53. Ashland has a 12 month low of $62.84 and a 12 month 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 firm has a market capitalization of $3.00 billion, a P/E ratio of -96.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.87.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, March 1st will be given a dividend of $0.405 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.55%. Ashland’s payout ratio is currently -245.45%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Robin E. Lampkin sold 868 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $224,585.70. This represents a 23.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Eric N. Boni sold 451 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.07, for a total transaction of $35,209.57. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 14,182 shares in the company, valued at $1,107,188.74. The trade was a 3.08 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ashland

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ashland in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in Ashland by 193.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 381 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new position in Ashland during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Ashland during the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ashland by 610.5% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 540 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 464 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

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.