Hsbc Holdings PLC Buys 8,346 Shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC $AU

Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU) by 70.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 20,194 shares of the mining company’s stock after buying an additional 8,346 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC’s holdings in AngloGold Ashanti were worth $1,968,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AU. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in AngloGold Ashanti in the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti in the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 454.1% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 471 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.09% of the company’s stock.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

Shares of AU stock opened at $79.70 on Monday. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 12 month low of $45.36 and a 12 month high of $129.14. The stock has a market cap of $40.24 billion, a PE ratio of 11.69 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 2.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $85.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $96.63.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The mining company reported $2.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.25. AngloGold Ashanti had a net margin of 31.11% and a return on equity of 36.41%. The firm had revenue of $3.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.26 billion. On average, equities analysts expect that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 8.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 29th were issued a $1.16 dividend. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. This is a positive change from AngloGold Ashanti’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. AngloGold Ashanti’s dividend payout ratio is presently 68.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AU has been the topic of a number of research reports. Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $134.00 to $128.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Roth Capital decreased their price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $121.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $114.00 to $111.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Freedom Capital raised AngloGold Ashanti to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on AngloGold Ashanti from $130.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AngloGold Ashanti has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $110.50.

About AngloGold Ashanti

AngloGold Ashanti is a global gold mining company engaged in the exploration, development, production, processing and sale of gold. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company’s core activities span the full mining value chain from greenfield exploration and mine development through to ore processing and rehabilitation. Gold is the primary commodity produced, with individual operations sometimes yielding other by‑products depending on local geology and processing methods.

The company was formed in 2004 through the merger of AngloGold and Ashanti Goldfields, creating a diversified international gold producer.