Franklin Resources Inc. Cuts Position in AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU)

Franklin Resources Inc. lowered its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU - Free Report) by 3.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 864,180 shares of the mining company's stock after selling 34,001 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.21% of AngloGold Ashanti worth $23,719,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 338.3% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,471 shares of the mining company's stock worth $87,000 after acquiring an additional 2,679 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 17.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 573,380 shares of the mining company's stock worth $14,409,000 after buying an additional 83,641 shares during the last quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the 2nd quarter worth about $227,000. Lester Murray Antman dba SimplyRich purchased a new position in AngloGold Ashanti in the second quarter valued at approximately $374,000. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 439,900 shares of the mining company's stock worth $11,055,000 after acquiring an additional 9,794 shares in the last quarter. 36.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

NYSE:AU traded up $0.64 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $23.90. The stock had a trading volume of 5,970,156 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,277,208. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market cap of $10.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.47 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $26.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $27.07. AngloGold Ashanti plc has a 12-month low of $15.80 and a 12-month high of $32.57.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on AU shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on AngloGold Ashanti from $37.00 to $32.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 6th. StockNews.com cut shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Scotiabank upgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a "sector underperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and set a $30.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Investec raised shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $31.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $31.75.

About AngloGold Ashanti

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.