Citigroup Inc. Sells 1,203,734 Shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU)

Key Points

• Citigroup Inc. has reduced its stake in AngloGold Ashanti PLC by 60.1%, selling over 1.2 million shares and now holding about 797,750 shares, valued at approximately $29.6 million.
• AngloGold Ashanti recently declared a semi-annual dividend of $0.80 per share, representing a yield of 610% and an increase from the previous dividend of $0.69.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on AngloGold Ashanti, with one stating a sell rating, two a hold rating, and four a buy rating, reflecting a consensus target price of $49.60.

Citigroup Inc. lowered its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU - Free Report) by 60.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 797,750 shares of the mining company's stock after selling 1,203,734 shares during the quarter. Citigroup Inc. owned approximately 0.19% of AngloGold Ashanti worth $29,612,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,002,449 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $787,791,000 after acquiring an additional 145,125 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 274.8% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,133,744 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $118,448,000 after buying an additional 3,764,165 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 3,767.1% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,751,410 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $63,503,000 after buying an additional 2,680,261 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 68.6% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,569,868 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $59,313,000 after buying an additional 1,045,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ninety One UK Ltd increased its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 19.8% during the 1st quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 2,337,673 shares of the mining company's stock worth $86,774,000 after purchasing an additional 386,078 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 36.09% of the company's stock.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

AU stock traded down $0.37 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $54.34. 2,522,667 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,782,192. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $49.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.48. The company has a current ratio of 2.34, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.81 billion, a PE ratio of 14.45 and a beta of 0.46. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 1-year low of $22.45 and a 1-year high of $59.19.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The mining company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.31 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $2.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.29 billion. AngloGold Ashanti had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 23.60%. On average, equities analysts forecast that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current year.

AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 22nd will be given a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 22nd. This is a positive change from AngloGold Ashanti's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.69. This represents a dividend yield of 610.0%. AngloGold Ashanti's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.30%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on AU shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on AngloGold Ashanti from $58.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Roth Capital reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen cut AngloGold Ashanti from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Finally, Scotiabank restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $49.60.

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.