AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU) Shares Purchased by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in AngloGold Ashanti PLC by 2.4%, holding approximately 4,041,932 shares valued at $150.05 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• AngloGold Ashanti reported a quarterly EPS of $1.25, below the consensus estimate of $1.31, while its revenue was $2.45 billion, surpassing expectations.
• The company recently declared a semi-annual dividend increase to $0.80, showing a significant rise from its previous dividend of $0.69, representing a yield of 610.0%.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU - Free Report) by 2.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,041,932 shares of the mining company's stock after buying an additional 95,668 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.96% of AngloGold Ashanti worth $150,054,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AU. Arrowpoint Investment Partners Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti during the first quarter worth approximately $521,000. HighTower Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti during the first quarter worth approximately $2,487,000. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 1st quarter valued at $37,451,000. Aigen Investment Management LP purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 1st quarter valued at $1,311,000. Finally, Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 1st quarter valued at $63,186,000. 36.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen cut AngloGold Ashanti from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Roth Capital restated a "buy" rating on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Friday, August 1st. Scotiabank reiterated a "sector perform" rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on AngloGold Ashanti from $58.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, HSBC reiterated a "reduce" rating and set a $35.00 price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Thursday, April 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AngloGold Ashanti currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $49.60.

AngloGold Ashanti Price Performance

AU traded down $1.13 during trading on Thursday, reaching $54.66. 2,037,406 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,143,656. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.34 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The business's 50 day moving average price is $49.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $41.30. The company has a market capitalization of $22.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.54 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The mining company reported $1.25 earnings per share 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 analysts' expectations of $2.29 billion. AngloGold Ashanti had a return on equity of 24.25% and a net margin of 23.60%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current year.

AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend

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

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.