342,935 Shares in AngloGold Ashanti PLC $AU Acquired by Martingale Asset Management L P

Key Points

• Investment firm Martingale Asset Management opened a new position in AngloGold Ashanti, acquiring 342,935 shares worth about $24.12 million, representing roughly 0.08% of the company; overall institutional ownership is about 36.09%.
• AngloGold Ashanti stock recently traded around $104.50 with a 52-week range of $31.58–$129.14, a market cap near $52.76 billion and a P/E of 20.13.
• The company announced a reduced quarterly dividend of $0.173 (annualized $0.69, yield ~0.7%, payout ratio ~70.1%), while analysts’ sentiment remains positive with a consensus "Moderate Buy" and several raised price targets (e.g., Citigroup to $120, JPMorgan to $131).

Martingale Asset Management L P purchased a new position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 342,935 shares of the mining company's stock, valued at approximately $24,119,000. Martingale Asset Management L P owned about 0.08% of AngloGold Ashanti at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 14.2% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,675,740 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $76,376,000 after purchasing an additional 207,923 shares during the period. Whitaker Myers Wealth Managers LTD. acquired a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the 3rd quarter worth about $887,000. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,408,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 259,363 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $18,241,000 after buying an additional 18,457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caprock Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti during the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,728,000. 36.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AngloGold Ashanti Trading Down 1.7%

AU stock opened at $104.50 on Friday. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 52-week low of $31.58 and a 52-week high of $129.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 2.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a market cap of $52.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.13 and a beta of 0.55. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $105.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $85.06.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The mining company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.90. The firm had revenue of $3.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. AngloGold Ashanti had a return on equity of 29.70% and a net margin of 26.65%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 3.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.173 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. AngloGold Ashanti's payout ratio is 70.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup boosted their price objective on AngloGold Ashanti from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on AngloGold Ashanti from $128.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Roth Mkm reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $122.00 price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded AngloGold Ashanti from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, December 13th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AngloGold Ashanti presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $100.50.

AngloGold Ashanti Company Profile

AngloGold Ashanti is a global gold mining company engaged in the exploration, development, production, processing and sale of gold. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company’s core activities span the full mining value chain from greenfield exploration and mine development through to ore processing and rehabilitation. Gold is the primary commodity produced, with individual operations sometimes yielding other by‑products depending on local geology and processing methods.

The company was formed in 2004 through the merger of AngloGold and Ashanti Goldfields, creating a diversified international gold producer.

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