Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.04 EPS

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) posted its earnings results on Tuesday. The basic materials company reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.04, Zacks reports. Ashland had a negative net margin of 39.03% and a positive return on equity of 8.06%.

Ashland Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of ASH stock traded up $1.41 on Tuesday, hitting $67.79. The stock had a trading volume of 1,272,676 shares, compared to its average volume of 831,470. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.41. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $63.38 and its 200-day moving average is $59.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.78 and a current ratio of 3.06. Ashland has a 52-week low of $46.29 and a 52-week high of $72.25.

Ashland Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from Ashland’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. Ashland’s payout ratio is currently -10.89%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ashland

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ashland by 59.0% in the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 671 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in Ashland in the third quarter worth about $38,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in Ashland by 398.3% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,460 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 1,167 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its holdings in Ashland by 76.7% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 2,098 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $101,000 after acquiring an additional 911 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its position in shares of Ashland by 121.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,139 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,175 shares in the last quarter. 93.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Ashland

Here are the key news stories impacting Ashland this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings topped expectations: Ashland reported adjusted earnings of $1.02 per share, exceeding the $0.98 consensus estimate. Income from continuing operations was $41 million, or $0.89 per diluted share. Ashland third-quarter 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Sales and volumes grew: Fiscal third-quarter sales rose 7% year over year to $497 million, while volumes increased 6% across all business units. Life Sciences sales climbed 11% and Intermediates sales rose 12%, supported by pharmaceutical demand and stronger NMP demand from battery and energy-storage customers.
• Positive Sentiment: Improved profitability and cash flow: Net income recovered to $16 million from a $742 million loss a year earlier. Operating cash flow increased to $121 million, and ongoing free cash flow was $103 million. Net leverage returned to the company’s long-term target range at 2.4 times.
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year outlook was largely maintained: Ashland reaffirmed fiscal 2026 sales guidance of $1.835 billion to $1.870 billion and adjusted EBITDA guidance of $385 million to $400 million, signaling continued confidence in demand, pricing actions and expected operational improvement.
• Positive Sentiment: Governance changes may support shareholder value: Ashland appointed independent directors Peter Thomas and Allen Spizzo and formed a Capital Allocation Advisory Committee under a cooperation agreement with Ancora Holdings Group. The move could increase focus on capital allocation and operational performance. Ashland director appointments and Ancora agreement
• Neutral Sentiment: Performance was mixed by segment: Life Sciences and Personal Care improved, but Specialty Additives and Intermediates posted lower adjusted EBITDA because of production constraints, inflation and weaker conditions in some construction and energy markets.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS growth expectations were reduced: Ashland revised its adjusted EPS outlook to low-to-mid-single-digit growth from mid-to-high-single-digit growth, citing a higher tax rate and unfavorable discrete tax items. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA also fell 4% year over year to $109 million.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on ASH. Seaport Research Partners upgraded shares of Ashland from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $75.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ashland from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Morgan Stanley set a $58.00 price target on shares of Ashland in a research report on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group increased their price target on Ashland from $66.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Ashland from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $65.20.

About Ashland

Ashland Inc is a global specialty chemicals company that develops, manufactures and supplies a broad range of performance and process-critical additives, ingredients and technologies. Its portfolio spans performance additives for coatings, adhesives and sealants; specialty ingredients for personal care and pharmaceutical applications; and process aids used in water treatment and other industrial processes. Ashland aims to address customer challenges by delivering tailored solutions that improve product performance, processing efficiency and sustainability outcomes.

Founded in 1924 as the Ashland Oil & Refining Company, the firm gradually expanded into the specialty chemicals sector over the second half of the 20th century.