Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Increases Stock Holdings in AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU - Free Report) by 4.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 244,143 shares of the mining company's stock after acquiring an additional 11,514 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank owned approximately 0.06% of AngloGold Ashanti worth $9,063,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 769.5% during the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,939 shares of the mining company's stock worth $109,000 after acquiring an additional 2,601 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti during the 4th quarter worth approximately $112,000. Institutional investors own 36.09% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on AU shares. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $42.00 to $43.50 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Roth Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on AngloGold Ashanti from $58.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, HSBC reissued a "reduce" rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $45.08.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

AU stock traded up $2.54 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $48.79. The stock had a trading volume of 4,254,255 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,375,209. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $47.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.60. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 52-week low of $22.45 and a 52-week high of $51.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 2.34. The stock has a market cap of $20.48 billion, a PE ratio of 12.98 and a beta of 0.46.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The mining company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.31 by ($0.06). AngloGold Ashanti had a net margin of 21.09% and a return on equity of 21.18%. The company had revenue of $2.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.29 billion. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 3.83 EPS for the current year.

AngloGold Ashanti Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a yield of 114.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 30th. AngloGold Ashanti's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.45%.

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.