Seaport Res Ptn Has Bearish Forecast for Ashland Q3 Earnings

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) – Equities researchers at Seaport Res Ptn dropped their Q3 2025 EPS estimates for Ashland in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, January 22nd. Seaport Res Ptn analyst M. Harrison now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings of $1.44 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.47. The consensus estimate for Ashland’s current full-year earnings is $4.31 per share. Seaport Res Ptn also issued estimates for Ashland’s Q4 2025 earnings at $1.48 EPS.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The basic materials company reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.28 by ($0.02). Ashland had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 7.43%. The business had revenue of $522.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $524.07 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.41 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Ashland from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Ashland from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Ashland from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $102.00.

Ashland Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of ASH opened at $70.99 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 2.44 and a quick ratio of 1.33. Ashland has a 12 month low of $68.14 and a 12 month high of $102.50. The stock has a market cap of $3.34 billion, a PE ratio of 21.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.87. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $73.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $82.69.

Institutional Trading of Ashland

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Ashland in the third quarter worth $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of Ashland by 193.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 381 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Ashland during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of Ashland in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in Ashland by 610.5% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 540 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Robin E. Lampkin sold 868 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.90, for a total transaction of $67,617.20. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,883 shares in the company, valued at $224,585.70. This represents a 23.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Eric N. Boni sold 451 shares of Ashland stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.07, for a total value of $35,209.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,182 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,107,188.74. The trade was a 3.08 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.02% of the company’s stock.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, March 1st will be given a dividend of $0.405 per share. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Ashland’s payout ratio is currently 48.36%.

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.