Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Shares Break Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

23 Oct 2026, 01:01 by Sarita Garza · The Markets Daily

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH – Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $65.29 and traded as high as $72.16. Ashland shares last traded at $71.6590, with a volume of 526,586 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ASH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Ashland from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ashland from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of Ashland in a report on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Ashland from $58.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $75.00 price target on shares of Ashland in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ashland currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.10.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on ASH

Ashland Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 3.05, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The company has a market cap of $3.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 64.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $71.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.55.

Ashland Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Ashland’s payout ratio is presently 147.37%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ashland

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in Ashland during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ashland in the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Ashland by 989.6% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 730 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 663 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Ashland by 38.0% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,005 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nykredit A S bought a new stake in shares of Ashland during the second quarter worth $85,000. 93.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ashland

(Get Free Report)

Ashland Inc is a global specialty materials company that develops and supplies functional ingredients, additives and solutions for industrial and consumer markets. Its products are used to enhance the performance, stability, texture, appearance and processing of finished goods.

The company serves a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, personal care, coatings, construction, food and beverages, adhesives and specialty chemicals. Its portfolio includes polymers, cellulose-based ingredients, rheology modifiers, film-forming agents, preservatives and other specialty additives used in applications such as drug delivery, skin and hair care, architectural coatings and building materials.