Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Reaches New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Ashland shares reached a 52-week high after JPMorgan raised its price target from $80 to $82 and maintained an overweight rating.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: seven analysts rate the stock Buy and five Hold, for a MarketBeat consensus of Moderate Buy; the consensus price target is $74.80.
• Ashland’s latest quarterly EPS of $1.12 missed the $1.27 consensus, although revenue rose 4.2% year over year. The company forecast fiscal 2027 sales of $1.905 billion to $1.975 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $405 million to $435 million.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Friday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $80.00 to $82.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Ashland traded as high as $79.50 and last traded at $76.4290, with a volume of 441,672 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $76.28.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on ASH. Mizuho raised their price target on Ashland from $75.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Ashland from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Ashland from $83.00 to $80.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 5th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $75.00 price objective on Ashland in a report on Friday, October 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Ashland in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $74.80.

Key Headlines Impacting Ashland

Here are the key news stories impacting Ashland this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Ashland from $80 to $82 and maintained an “overweight” rating. The new target implied about 6.9% upside from the quoted $76.71 share price. JPMorgan rating information
• Neutral Sentiment: Ashland forecast fiscal 2027 sales of $1.905 billion to $1.975 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $405 million to $435 million. Planned capital expenditures of up to $140 million could support investment but may also weigh on near-term cash flow. Fiscal 2027 outlook

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP purchased a new position in Ashland during the 3rd quarter valued at $68,000. Ethic Inc. increased its position in shares of Ashland by 13.0% during the third quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 5,542 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $376,000 after acquiring an additional 639 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Ashland by 3.2% during the third quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,311 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $361,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its stake in Ashland by 0.7% in the third quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 19,983 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,357,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC increased its holdings in Ashland by 66.2% during the 3rd quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 7,937 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $579,000 after purchasing an additional 3,161 shares during the period. 93.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ashland Stock Up 0.9%

The firm has a market cap of $3.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 957.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a current ratio of 2.96, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $71.58 and a 200-day moving average price of $64.09.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 3rd. The basic materials company reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.27 by ($0.15). The company had revenue of $996.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $501.76 million. Ashland had a return on equity of 8.17% and a net margin of 0.21%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.08 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ashland Inc. will post 4.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Ashland

Ashland Inc is a global specialty materials company that develops and supplies functional ingredients, additives and solutions for industrial and consumer markets. Its products are used to enhance the performance, stability, texture, appearance and processing of finished goods.

The company serves a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, personal care, coatings, construction, food and beverages, adhesives and specialty chemicals. Its portfolio includes polymers, cellulose-based ingredients, rheology modifiers, film-forming agents, preservatives and other specialty additives used in applications such as drug delivery, skin and hair care, architectural coatings and building materials.

Ashland traces its roots to 1924, when it was established as Ashland Refining Company in Kentucky.

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