AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Shares of AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the six research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has given a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $34.00.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Scotiabank upped their target price on AngloGold Ashanti from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on AngloGold Ashanti from $37.00 to $32.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 6th.

AngloGold Ashanti Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AU traded up $0.60 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $36.16. The company had a trading volume of 1,399,836 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,311,904. The firm has a market cap of $15.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.30 and a beta of 0.92. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $31.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.04. AngloGold Ashanti has a one year low of $21.37 and a one year high of $36.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.73.

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AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The mining company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.99 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $1.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.75 billion. On average, research analysts predict that AngloGold Ashanti will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.69 dividend. This represents a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from AngloGold Ashanti's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.22. AngloGold Ashanti's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AngloGold Ashanti

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AU. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 22.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,857,324 shares of the mining company's stock worth $467,795,000 after purchasing an additional 3,882,283 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 274.8% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,133,744 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $118,448,000 after buying an additional 3,764,165 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 39.5% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 10,448,445 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $277,968,000 after buying an additional 2,957,304 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 3,767.1% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,751,410 shares of the mining company's stock worth $63,503,000 after acquiring an additional 2,680,261 shares during the period. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 25,411,814 shares of the mining company's stock valued at $586,504,000 after acquiring an additional 2,491,130 shares during the last quarter. 36.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AngloGold Ashanti Company Profile

AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania.