Natixis Advisors LLC Has $3.07 Million Stock Position in Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH)

Natixis Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH - Free Report) by 43.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 42,930 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 32,645 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned 0.09% of Ashland worth $3,068,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new position in shares of Ashland in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Ashland in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in Ashland in the fourth quarter valued at about $56,000. Assetmark Inc. boosted its holdings in Ashland by 84.1% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 994 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 454 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in Ashland during the third quarter worth about $72,000. 93.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ashland Stock Down 0.3 %

ASH traded down $0.15 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $57.10. The company had a trading volume of 183,653 shares, compared to its average volume of 740,213. The company has a market capitalization of $2.69 billion, a PE ratio of -86.51, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.89. 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 one year low of $54.86 and a one year high of $102.50. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $63.47 and its 200 day moving average price is $74.29.

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Ashland (NYSE:ASH - Get Free Report) last issued 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 negative net margin of 1.12% and a positive return on equity of 7.41%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.45 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Ashland Inc. will post 4.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, March 1st were issued a $0.405 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.84%. Ashland's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -245.45%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Ashland from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Ashland from $81.00 to $68.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Ashland from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Ashland from $95.00 to $93.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn cut Ashland from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ashland currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $87.00.

Insider Transactions at Ashland

In related news, CEO Guillermo Novo bought 31,294 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $64.24 per share, with a total value of $2,010,326.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 31,294 shares in the company, valued at $2,010,326.56. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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.