State of Wyoming Acquires 18,879 Shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC $AU

Key Points

• The State of Wyoming increased its stake in AngloGold Ashanti PLC by 233.9% during the first quarter, acquiring an additional 18,879 shares, bringing its total holdings to 26,951 shares valued at $1,000,000.
• AngloGold Ashanti recently announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.80 per share, increasing from the previous $0.69, which equates to a yield of 610.0%.
• Despite a strong revenue of $2.45 billion reported for the quarter, the company missed earnings expectations, reporting $1.25 earnings per share compared to the anticipated $1.31.

State of Wyoming boosted its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU - Free Report) by 233.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 26,951 shares of the mining company's stock after acquiring an additional 18,879 shares during the quarter. State of Wyoming's holdings in AngloGold Ashanti were worth $1,000,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. MJT & Associates Financial Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $30,000. SVB Wealth LLC bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $77,000. 36.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

NYSE AU traded up $1.49 on Tuesday, hitting $58.15. 5,036,057 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,120,201. The company has a market capitalization of $24.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.46 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a current ratio of 2.99, a quick ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The business's 50 day moving average price is $50.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $43.40. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 52-week low of $22.45 and a 52-week high of $59.19.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The mining company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.31 by ($0.06). AngloGold Ashanti had a return on equity of 22.54% and a net margin of 23.60%.The business had revenue of $2.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.29 billion. Equities analysts expect that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current year.

AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 22nd will be issued a $0.80 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 610.0%. This is a positive change 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 payout ratio is presently 85.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AU. Scotiabank reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Roth Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered AngloGold Ashanti from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on AngloGold Ashanti from $58.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $49.60.

About AngloGold Ashanti

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.