Cwm LLC Boosts Holdings in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH)

Cwm LLC increased its holdings in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) by 163.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 559 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the period. Cwm LLC’s holdings in Ashland were worth $47,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Ashland during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in Ashland by 338.0% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 403 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of Ashland by 43.1% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 561 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the period. Arlington Trust Co LLC bought a new position in shares of Ashland in the fourth quarter worth approximately $67,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Ashland during the 3rd quarter valued at $126,000. Institutional investors own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

Ashland Price Performance

ASH opened at $97.84 on Friday. Ashland Inc. has a 12-month low of $70.82 and a 12-month high of $99.55. The company has a market cap of $4.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.95 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 3.15, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $95.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $87.44.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $575.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $574.64 million. Ashland had a net margin of 9.09% and a return on equity of 5.57%. Ashland’s revenue was down 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.43 EPS. Research analysts predict that Ashland Inc. will post 4.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ashland Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 15th. Investors of record on Saturday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.405 per share. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.66%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 31st. This is a positive change from Ashland’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ASH shares. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Ashland in a report on Friday, March 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $108.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised Ashland from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $100.00 to $112.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Ashland from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded Ashland from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Ashland from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $100.00 to $126.00 in a report on Thursday, March 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $106.44.

Ashland 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.