Ashland (NYSE:ASH) PT Raised to $90.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) had its price objective upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $88.00 to $90.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an underweight rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Ashland in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They set an outperform rating and a $108.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Ashland from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $100.00 to $126.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 14th. UBS Group upped their target price on Ashland from $114.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Mizuho lifted their price target on Ashland from $101.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Ashland from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ashland presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $103.11.

Ashland Trading Up 0.1 %

ASH stock opened at $95.85 on Thursday. Ashland has a 12-month low of $70.82 and a 12-month high of $99.55. The business’s 50-day moving average is $95.62 and its 200 day moving average is $86.99. The company has a current ratio of 3.15, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market cap of $4.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.42 and a beta of 0.92.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.13. Ashland had a return on equity of 5.57% and a net margin of 9.09%. The firm had revenue of $575.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $574.64 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ashland will post 4.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in shares of Ashland during the first quarter valued at about $140,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Ashland by 427.1% in the 1st quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC now owns 14,928 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,454,000 after purchasing an additional 12,096 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Ashland by 40.6% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 12,139 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,182,000 after purchasing an additional 3,507 shares during the period. Norden Group LLC acquired a new position in Ashland during the first quarter worth $224,000. Finally, Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new position in shares of Ashland during the first quarter worth $205,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

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.