Marshall Wace LLP Makes New $4.16 Million Investment in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH)

Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 58,171 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $4,157,000. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 0.12% of Ashland as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in Ashland by 323.1% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 71,689 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $6,236,000 after buying an additional 54,745 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Ashland in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Synovus Financial Corp increased its position in Ashland by 11.2% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 3,964 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $345,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Ashland by 66.9% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 169,618 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $14,752,000 after purchasing an additional 67,980 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new position in Ashland in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.95% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Ashland

In other news, CEO Guillermo Novo purchased 31,294 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $64.24 per share, for a total transaction of $2,010,326.56. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 31,294 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,010,326.56. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.02% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ASH has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Ashland from $95.00 to $93.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Ashland from $69.00 to $58.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Ashland from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Seaport Res Ptn cut Ashland from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Mizuho set a $60.00 price objective on Ashland in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $73.20.

Ashland Stock Up 1.7 %

NYSE ASH traded up $0.90 on Wednesday, hitting $54.38. 911,126 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 516,457. Ashland Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $45.21 and a fifty-two week high of $102.50. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $55.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $67.89. The company has a market cap of $2.57 billion, a PE ratio of -82.39, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 2.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $0.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.11). Ashland had a positive return on equity of 7.41% and a negative net margin of 1.12%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.27 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ashland Inc. will post 4.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.