Deutsche Bank AG Purchases 48,266 Shares of Ashland Inc. $ASH

Deutsche Bank AG boosted its position in shares of Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH - Free Report) by 190.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 73,543 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 48,266 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG owned approximately 0.16% of Ashland worth $4,360,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of ASH. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its position in shares of Ashland by 6.2% in the fourth quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 3,590 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ashland by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 5,225 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 284 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Ashland by 10.7% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,292 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $235,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in Ashland by 63.9% in the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 834 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in Ashland by 4.6% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,440 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $441,000 after purchasing an additional 328 shares in the last quarter. 93.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ashland Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of ASH traded down $0.21 on Thursday, hitting $53.86. 133,847 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 653,317. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 2.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.46 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 0.49. The stock's 50 day moving average is $51.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $54.03. Ashland Inc. has a 1 year low of $45.21 and a 1 year high of $90.61.

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

Ashland Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Investors of record on Monday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $0.415 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. This represents a $1.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Ashland's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -8.86%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ASH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Ashland from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Ashland from $73.00 to $64.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ashland from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Ashland from $71.00 to $67.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $65.60.

Ashland Profile

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.