Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. Takes $361,000 Position in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH)

Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 5,050 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $361,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ASH. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new position in Ashland in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Ashland in the third quarter worth $38,000. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new stake in Ashland in the fourth quarter valued at $56,000. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in Ashland by 84.1% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 994 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 454 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Independence Bank of Kentucky lifted its holdings in Ashland by 302.4% during the 4th quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 1,489 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $106,000 after buying an additional 1,119 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

Ashland Stock Performance

Shares of ASH stock opened at $48.75 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 2.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Ashland Inc. has a 52 week low of $46.21 and a 52 week high of $102.50. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $60.46 and a 200-day moving average of $72.18. The company has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -73.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.70.

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

Ashland Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 15th. Investors of record on Saturday, March 1st were paid a dividend of $0.405 per share. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.32%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -245.45%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ASH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Ashland from $80.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. 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 report on Wednesday, December 11th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Ashland from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Ashland from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $68.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Finally, UBS Group cut 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. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $85.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ashland news, CEO Guillermo Novo purchased 31,294 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $64.24 per share, for a total transaction of $2,010,326.56. Following the purchase, 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 purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.02% 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.