Northern Trust Corp Buys New Stake in AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU)

Northern Trust Corp acquired a new position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 314,658 shares of the mining company's stock, valued at approximately $7,262,000. Northern Trust Corp owned approximately 0.07% of AngloGold Ashanti as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AU. Whittier Trust Co. acquired a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 210.6% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the mining company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 796 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $82,000. 36.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AngloGold Ashanti Price Performance

AU stock traded up $1.21 on Friday, reaching $44.09. 2,417,866 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,592,029. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $39.78 and a 200-day moving average of $31.85. The firm has a market cap of $18.51 billion, a PE ratio of 14.50 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. AngloGold Ashanti plc has a twelve month low of $22.13 and a twelve month high of $46.90.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 9th. The mining company reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $1.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. As a group, equities analysts predict that AngloGold Ashanti plc will post 3.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd will be issued a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 30th. This represents a yield of 1.14%. AngloGold Ashanti's payout ratio is 16.45%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AU has been the subject of several analyst reports. HSBC reaffirmed a "reduce" rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on AngloGold Ashanti from $33.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $42.00 to $43.50 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $41.30.

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.