First Financial Bank Trust Division Sells 1,917 Shares of Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH)

First Financial Bank Trust Division trimmed its position in shares of Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) by 11.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,495 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 1,917 shares during the period. First Financial Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Ashland were worth $1,107,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Ashland during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in Ashland by 193.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 381 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 251 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Ashland in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in Ashland by 610.5% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 540 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the period. Finally, Quest Partners LLC grew its holdings in Ashland by 8,211.1% during the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 748 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 739 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.95% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on ASH. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Ashland from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Ashland from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Ashland from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $102.00.

Insider Transactions at Ashland

In related news, VP Eric N. Boni sold 451 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.07, for a total transaction of $35,209.57. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 14,182 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,107,188.74. This trade represents a 3.08 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Robin E. Lampkin sold 868 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.90, for a total value of $67,617.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,883 shares in the company, valued at $224,585.70. This trade represents a 23.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.02% of the company’s stock.

Ashland Trading Down 2.4 %

Shares of NYSE:ASH traded down $1.72 during trading on Thursday, reaching $69.74. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 598,508 shares, compared to its average volume of 423,625. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.29 billion, a PE ratio of 20.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.86. Ashland Inc. has a 12 month low of $69.71 and a 12 month high of $102.50. The company has a current ratio of 2.44, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $77.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $85.48.

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The basic materials company reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.28 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $522.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $524.07 million. Ashland had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 7.43%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.41 earnings per share. Ashland’s revenue for the quarter was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Ashland Inc. will post 4.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, December 1st were paid a $0.405 dividend. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. Ashland’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.36%.

Ashland Company Profile

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.