What is Seaport Res Ptn's Forecast for Ashland Q4 Earnings?

Key Points

• Seaport Res Ptn has raised its Q4 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimate for Ashland to $1.35, up from $1.32, with a full-year estimate of $4.27.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. has lowered its price target for Ashland from $71.00 to $67.00 while maintaining an "overweight" rating, reflecting a mixed outlook from analysts for the stock.
• Ashland's shares are trading around $52.27 and the company recently reported a revenue drop of 14.9% year-over-year, indicating financial difficulties.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH - Free Report) - Analysts at Seaport Res Ptn boosted their Q4 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Ashland in a note issued to investors on Monday, August 4th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst M. Harrison now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $1.35 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.32. The consensus estimate for Ashland's current full-year earnings is $4.27 per share. Seaport Res Ptn also issued estimates for Ashland's Q2 2027 earnings at $1.61 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.64 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $5.67 EPS.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.15 by ($0.11). Ashland had a negative net margin of 46.01% and a positive return on equity of 6.82%. The company had revenue of $463.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $479.34 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. Ashland's revenue for the quarter was down 14.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. UBS Group dropped their target price on Ashland from $73.00 to $64.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Ashland from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Wall Street Zen raised Ashland from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Ashland from $71.00 to $67.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Mizuho set a $60.00 price target on shares of Ashland in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $65.60.

Ashland Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:ASH traded down $0.67 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $52.08. 595,623 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 586,048. Ashland has a 1 year low of $45.21 and a 1 year high of $90.61. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $51.36 and a 200-day moving average price of $54.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.38 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 2.68 and a quick ratio of 1.33.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $0.415 per share. This represents a $1.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Ashland's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -8.86%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ashland

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ASH. LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in Ashland by 12.5% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 31,799 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,272,000 after purchasing an additional 3,541 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its holdings in shares of Ashland by 15.6% in the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 7,694 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $550,000 after purchasing an additional 1,038 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Ashland by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 270,029 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $19,296,000 after purchasing an additional 7,829 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ashland by 30.3% during the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 10,465 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $748,000 after buying an additional 2,431 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Ashland by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 379,113 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $27,091,000 after purchasing an additional 22,876 shares during the last quarter. 93.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ashland Company Profile

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.