Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC Makes New $351,000 Investment in Ashland Inc. $ASH

Key Points

• Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC acquired 5,927 shares of Ashland Inc., valued at approximately $351,000, during the 1st quarter, marking a significant investment in the basic materials company.
• Ashland recently reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, falling short of the consensus estimate of $1.15, with a 14.9% year-over-year revenue decline to $463 million.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.415, representing a dividend yield of 3.0%, with a payout ratio currently at -8.86%.

Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 5,927 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $351,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Ashland by 2,736.0% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 709 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 684 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in Ashland by 212.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 706 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in Ashland by 63.9% in the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 834 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in Ashland by 285.7% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 914 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 677 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in Ashland by 1,745.8% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,329 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 1,257 shares during the last quarter. 93.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Ashland from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Ashland from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Ashland in a research note on Monday. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $60.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Ashland from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on Ashland from $73.00 to $64.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ashland presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $61.43.

Ashland Trading Down 3.3%

ASH traded down $1.80 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $52.89. 344,459 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 399,527. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $53.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $52.90. Ashland Inc. has a 52-week low of $45.21 and a 52-week high of $89.09. 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 $2.42 billion, a PE ratio of -2.82, a PEG ratio of 3.94 and a beta of 0.52.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.04 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $463.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $479.34 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. Ashland's quarterly revenue was down 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Ashland has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ashland Inc. will post 4.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 1st will be issued a $0.415 dividend. This represents a $1.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. Ashland's dividend payout ratio is currently -8.86%.

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.