Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Decreases Stake in Ashland Inc. $ASH

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lessened its holdings in shares of Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) by 57.9% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,022 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 12,433 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH’s holdings in Ashland were worth $432,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC raised its position in shares of Ashland by 6.5% in the third quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 4,842 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $230,000 after buying an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ashland in the 3rd quarter valued at about $221,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new stake in Ashland in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,067,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its stake in Ashland by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 42,951 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,056,000 after purchasing an additional 1,986 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ashland by 2,102.9% during the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 99,594 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,772,000 after purchasing an additional 95,073 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

Ashland Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE ASH opened at $61.42 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.81 billion, a PE ratio of -3.35, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a current ratio of 2.85, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.27. Ashland Inc. has a twelve month low of $45.21 and a twelve month high of $67.39.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The basic materials company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.03. Ashland had a negative net margin of 46.25% and a positive return on equity of 7.07%. The business had revenue of $386.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $401.42 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.28 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ashland Inc. will post 4.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Sunday, March 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.415 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $1.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio is -9.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ASH has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Ashland from $51.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Ashland in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Ashland from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Ashland from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $61.00 to $71.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Ashland from $64.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Ashland currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.13.

Key Ashland News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ashland this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted EPS beat and underlying margin resilience — Ashland reported adjusted income from continuing operations of $0.26 per share (adjusted metrics held up vs. prior year) and beat consensus on reported EPS, reflecting cost actions and mix improvement. Ashland (ASH) Beats Q1 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Strong cash generation improved the balance sheet — operating cash flow was robust (reported $125M including a tax refund) and ongoing free cash flow turned positive, supporting liquidity and buyback activity. Ashland reports first quarter fiscal 2026 results and narrows full-year outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Life Sciences strength — the Life Sciences segment grew ~4% and expanded margins, underpinning confidence in higher?value, innovation-driven product lines. Ashland reports first quarter fiscal 2026 results and narrows full-year outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Narrowed adjusted EBITDA range to $400–$420M — management tightened the band (previously $400–$430M), citing about $11M of temporary impacts from the Calvert City startup delay and weather; the move improves visibility but reflects operational headwinds. Ashland Inc. Reports Q1 Fiscal 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue shortfall and organic decline — Q1 sales were $386M (down ~5% YoY; below analyst estimates around $401–$406M), with divestitures and softer volumes weighing on top?line growth. Ashland (ASH) Reports Q1 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP loss and operating disruption — the company recorded a net loss (~$12M / $(0.26) per share GAAP) and noted Calvert City startup delays and weather disruptions that reduced adjusted EBITDA (~$10–11M impact). These drove a near?term earnings/headline weakness. Ashland Inc. (ASH) Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings

Ashland Profile

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.