First Eagle Investment Management LLC Has $11.15 Million Position in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH)

First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) by 25.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 156,050 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 31,200 shares during the quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Ashland were worth $11,151,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its position in shares of Ashland by 5.5% in the third quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 3,104 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $270,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of Ashland by 5.4% in the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 3,532 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $307,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the period. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Ashland in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its position in shares of Ashland by 11.4% in the fourth quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 3,541 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $253,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the period. Finally, Synovus Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Ashland by 11.2% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 3,964 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $345,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. 93.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on ASH shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Ashland from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Ashland from $81.00 to $68.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Ashland from $95.00 to $93.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of Ashland from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Ashland from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $87.00.

Ashland Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ASH opened at $57.03 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $65.38 and a 200-day moving average of $76.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.69 billion, a PE ratio of -86.40, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a current ratio of 2.52, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Ashland Inc. has a 12 month low of $55.29 and a 12 month high of $102.50.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.79 by ($0.51). Ashland had a negative net margin of 1.12% and a positive return on equity of 7.41%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.45 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ashland Inc. will post 4.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 15th. Investors of record on Saturday, March 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.405 per share. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.84%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -245.45%.

Insider Activity at Ashland

In related news, CEO Guillermo Novo purchased 31,294 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $64.24 per share, with a total value of $2,010,326.56. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 31,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,010,326.56. This trade represents a ? increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.