AQR Capital Management LLC Boosts Position in AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU)

AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU - Free Report) by 7,804.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 930,781 shares of the mining company's stock after purchasing an additional 919,006 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.22% of AngloGold Ashanti worth $21,482,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 9.4% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 5,799 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $134,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Sprott Inc. grew its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Sprott Inc. now owns 91,168 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $2,104,000 after buying an additional 662 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 210.6% during 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 period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 10.5% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 8,860 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $204,000 after acquiring an additional 844 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 10,745 shares of the mining company's stock worth $248,000 after purchasing an additional 910 shares during the period. 36.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Up 6.9 %

Shares of NYSE:AU traded up $2.88 during trading on Friday, hitting $44.75. The stock had a trading volume of 3,949,423 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,909,352. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market capitalization of $18.78 billion, a PE ratio of 13.98 and a beta of 0.48. The firm's fifty day moving average is $37.53 and its 200 day moving average is $30.78. AngloGold Ashanti plc has a 12 month low of $22.13 and a 12 month high of $46.90.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The mining company reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Analysts anticipate that AngloGold Ashanti plc will post 3.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a dividend of $0.69 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This represents a yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from AngloGold Ashanti's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.22. AngloGold Ashanti's dividend payout ratio is currently 43.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on AU. StockNews.com upgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $34.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on AngloGold Ashanti from $33.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. HSBC restated a "reduce" rating and set a $35.00 price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on AngloGold Ashanti from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $41.00.

About AngloGold Ashanti

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.