What is Seaport Res Ptn's Forecast for Ashland Q2 Earnings?

Key Points

• Seaport Res Ptn has reduced its Q2 2026 earnings estimate for Ashland to $1.25 per share, down from the previous estimate of $1.30, with a full-year earnings consensus now at $4.27 per share.
• Analysts have mixed views on Ashland, with price targets varying; UBS Group lowered its target to $64.00, while BMO Capital Markets raised its target to $61.00, and the current consensus rating stands at "Hold".
• Ashland recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.415, leading to an annualized dividend yield of 3.4%, despite a negative payout ratio of -8.86%.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Seaport Res Ptn dropped their Q2 2026 earnings estimates for Ashland in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, October 17th. Seaport Res Ptn analyst M. Harrison now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings of $1.25 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $1.30. The consensus estimate for Ashland's current full-year earnings is $4.27 per share. Seaport Res Ptn also issued estimates for Ashland's FY2026 earnings at $4.25 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $5.38 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Ashland from $73.00 to $64.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Ashland from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ashland from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research raised shares of Ashland from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Ashland in a report on Monday, September 8th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $60.43.

Ashland Price Performance

Shares of Ashland stock opened at $48.94 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The company's 50-day moving average price is $51.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $51.29. Ashland has a 52 week low of $45.21 and a 52 week high of $88.89. The stock has a market cap of $2.24 billion, a PE ratio of -2.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 11.23 and a beta of 0.49.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 9th. The basic materials company reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter. Ashland had a negative net margin of 46.01% and a positive return on equity of 6.82%. The firm had revenue of $509.00 million for the quarter. Ashland has set its FY 2022 guidance at EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ashland

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ASH. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ashland by 59.0% in the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 671 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 249 shares during the period. Abound Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Ashland in the 2nd quarter valued at about $40,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ashland by 2,736.0% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 709 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 684 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Ashland by 63.9% in the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 834 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ashland by 93.5% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,155 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 558 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.95% of the company's stock.

Ashland Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 1st were issued a $0.415 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 29th. This represents a $1.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Ashland's dividend payout ratio is currently -8.86%.

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.

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