AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) Reaches New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $49.15 and last traded at $48.65, with a volume of 823307 shares. The stock had previously closed at $45.87.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AU has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Roth Capital initiated coverage on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Thursday. They issued a "buy" rating and a $52.00 target price for the company. HSBC reiterated a "reduce" rating and issued a $35.00 price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Thursday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $33.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, June 1st. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $42.00 to $43.50 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $43.08.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

The business's fifty day simple moving average is $42.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $33.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.73. The company has a market capitalization of $20.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.06 and a beta of 0.49.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The mining company reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AngloGold Ashanti plc will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be issued a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.14%. AngloGold Ashanti's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.45%.

Institutional Trading of AngloGold Ashanti

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Whittier Trust Co. bought a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 210.6% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the mining company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 796 shares during the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, MJT & Associates Financial Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. 36.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AngloGold Ashanti Company Profile

AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania.