Ashland Inc. $ASH Stock Holdings Lifted by Petrus Trust Company LTA

Key Points

• Petrus Trust Company LTA increased its holdings in Ashland Inc. by 180.4%, acquiring an additional 11,807 shares, bringing its total to 18,351 shares valued at approximately $1,088,000.
• Ashland recently reported earnings of $1.04 per share for the quarter, missing expectations, with revenue of $463 million, down 14.9% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.415 per share, reflecting a yield of 3.0%, with the dividend payout ratio currently at -8.86%.

Petrus Trust Company LTA grew its holdings in shares of Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH - Free Report) by 180.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,351 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 11,807 shares during the quarter. Petrus Trust Company LTA's holdings in Ashland were worth $1,088,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in Ashland by 212.4% during 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 period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 684 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 677 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,257 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.95% of the company's stock.

Ashland Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of ASH stock traded up $1.16 on Thursday, reaching $54.20. 143,935 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 635,268. Ashland Inc. has a 12-month low of $45.21 and a 12-month high of $89.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.68. The company has a market capitalization of $2.48 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.52. The business's 50 day moving average price is $53.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $53.05.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.11). Ashland had a negative net margin of 46.01% and a positive return on equity of 6.82%. The business had revenue of $463.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $479.34 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Ashland has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 1st will be paid a $0.415 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 29th. This represents a $1.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Ashland's payout ratio is -8.86%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on ASH shares. 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. Argus cut their target price on Ashland from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 26th. 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. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Ashland from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Ashland from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $61.43.

About Ashland

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.