Ardmore Shipping (NYSE:ASC) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ardmore Shipping (NYSE:ASC) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Saturday morning.

Separately, Evercore set a $19.00 target price on Ardmore Shipping in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $17.00.

Ardmore Shipping Stock Performance

ASC opened at $19.51 on Friday. Ardmore Shipping has a 52-week low of $9.18 and a 52-week high of $19.62. The company has a quick ratio of 3.98, a current ratio of 4.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company has a market cap of $794.44 million, a P/E ratio of 14.67 and a beta of 0.03. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $15.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.51.

Ardmore Shipping (NYSE:ASC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The shipping company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $87.92 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $58.08 million. Ardmore Shipping had a net margin of 18.00% and a return on equity of 9.73%.

Ardmore Shipping Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This is an increase from Ardmore Shipping’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Ardmore Shipping’s payout ratio is currently 40.45%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Bart B. Kelleher sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.07, for a total value of $152,560.00. Following the sale, the president owned 60,039 shares in the company, valued at $1,144,943.73. This represents a 11.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ardmore Shipping

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in Ardmore Shipping in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Ardmore Shipping in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Ardmore Shipping in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $59,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Ardmore Shipping by 1,689.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,444 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 7,972 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in Ardmore Shipping by 536.3% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 8,737 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 7,364 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.22% of the company’s stock.

Key Ardmore Shipping News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ardmore Shipping this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ardmore reported first-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.58, ahead of the $0.51 consensus, and revenue of $87.92 million versus expectations of $58.08 million, showing a meaningful earnings and sales beat. Ardmore Shipping Q1 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, a sharp increase from the prior $0.09 payout, implying a higher yield and signaling confidence in cash generation. Ardmore Shipping Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst commentary has also been supportive, including a ratings upgrade that framed the bigger payout as attractive for investors. Ardmore Shipping Ratings Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: The company filed its Q1 Form 6-K and held an earnings call, providing additional detail on fleet profile and risk factors, but these updates appear informational rather than a new catalyst. Ardmore Shipping Q1 2026 Earnings Call Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: President Bart Kelleher sold 8,000 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. While routine, insider selling can still cap enthusiasm around the stock. Ardmore Shipping Insider Sale

Ardmore Shipping Company Profile

Ardmore Shipping Corporation is a Bermuda-based provider of seaborne transportation services for refined petroleum products. The company owns and operates a modern fleet of product tankers, including medium-range (MR), long-range 2 (LR2) and Aframax vessels. Ardmore Shipping focuses on the ocean carriage of clean and dirty petroleum products under time charters, bareboat charters and spot voyages, serving a diverse customer base that includes major oil companies and trading houses.

Since its founding in 2005, Ardmore Shipping has grown its fleet through newbuilding contracts, second-hand acquisitions and fleet renewals, aiming to maintain a high quality, fuel-efficient profile.