AngloGold Ashanti PLC $AU Holdings Increased by Ninety One SA Pty Ltd

Key Points

• Ninety One SA Pty Ltd increased its AngloGold Ashanti stake by 1.8% in the third quarter, owning 11.4 million shares valued at approximately $1.07 billion, or 2.26% of the company.
• AngloGold Ashanti shares rose 1.0% to $89.74, while the company reported quarterly EPS of $1.98, slightly below analyst expectations, and revenue of $3.10 billion, also below estimates.
• The company cut its quarterly dividend to $0.72 from $1.16, although analysts maintained an overall “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $120.14.

Ninety One SA Pty Ltd grew its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU - Free Report) by 1.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,398,551 shares of the mining company's stock after acquiring an additional 203,418 shares during the quarter. AngloGold Ashanti comprises about 53.5% of Ninety One SA Pty Ltd's holdings, making the stock its largest position. Ninety One SA Pty Ltd owned 2.26% of AngloGold Ashanti worth $1,069,147,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AU. Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 2,777 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Monument Capital Management grew its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Monument Capital Management now owns 4,037 shares of the mining company's stock worth $379,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise raised its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 27,795 shares of the mining company's stock worth $2,667,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Allen Capital Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC now owns 2,832 shares of the mining company's stock worth $276,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 36.09% of the company's stock.

AngloGold Ashanti Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE AU traded up $0.90 on Thursday, hitting $89.74. 2,377,298 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,881,901. The company's 50 day moving average price is $102.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $94.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 2.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.03 and a beta of 0.73. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a twelve month low of $62.55 and a twelve month high of $129.14.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The mining company reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.03 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. AngloGold Ashanti had a return on equity of 38.77% and a net margin of 32.19%. Analysts predict that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 4th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st were given a $0.72 dividend. This is a drop from AngloGold Ashanti's previous quarterly dividend of $1.16. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 21st. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. AngloGold Ashanti's payout ratio is currently 6.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on AU shares. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $130.00 to $125.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Freedom Capital raised AngloGold Ashanti to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings upgraded AngloGold Ashanti from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Monday. Scotiabank cut their price objective on AngloGold Ashanti from $134.00 to $128.00 and set a "sector outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Roth Capital reduced their price objective on AngloGold Ashanti from $121.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $120.14.

AngloGold Ashanti Profile

AngloGold Ashanti plc NYSE: AU is a global gold mining company engaged in the exploration, development, and production of gold. Its activities include operating mines, processing ore into doré and bullion, and developing mineral resources and reserves. The company also conducts exploration and evaluation activities in areas with potential for additional gold discoveries.

The company has mining operations and projects across several regions, including Africa, Australia, the Americas, and other international markets.

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