Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Given Sell (D) Rating at Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Ashland's stock has been given a continued "sell (d)" rating by Weiss Ratings, indicating a negative outlook on the company by this analyst.
• The average rating for Ashland's stock is currently "Hold," with an average price target of $60.57, reflecting mixed opinions from various analysts.
• Despite a recent price increase, Ashland's quarterly earnings missed analysts' estimates, reporting $1.04 EPS against a consensus of $1.15, and experienced a 14.9% year-over-year revenue decline.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "sell (d)" rating reiterated by Weiss Ratings in a research report issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Ashland in a research note on Monday, September 8th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $60.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Ashland from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Zacks Research raised shares of Ashland from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Ashland from $58.00 to $54.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Ashland from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $60.57.

Ashland Stock Up 2.3%

Ashland stock traded up $1.10 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $48.59. The stock had a trading volume of 515,997 shares, compared to its average volume of 645,058. Ashland has a 12 month low of $45.21 and a 12 month high of $88.89. The company has a market capitalization of $2.22 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.59, a PEG ratio of 10.88 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $52.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $51.85. The company has a current ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $463.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $479.34 million. Ashland had a negative net margin of 46.01% and a positive return on equity of 6.82%. Ashland's revenue for the quarter was down 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. Ashland has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Ashland will post 4.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ashland

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ashland by 6.3% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 3,815 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $226,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ashland by 59.0% during the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 671 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 249 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in shares of Ashland by 11.4% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,457 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $124,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ashland by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,734 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $389,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Ashland by 20.0% during the 1st quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,815 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 303 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.

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