Ashland

ASH

Market cap $2.75B

Ashland (ASH) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock?

Ashland's portfolio changes in recent years have been sensible, though some relatively cyclical exposure remains. An impressive variety of growth opportunities exists for the increasingly coherent overall portfolio. The recent involvement of an activist shareholder has lifted the shares sharply since December.

Diamond Hill Select Strategy returned 4.41% (net of fees) and the Russell 3000 Index returned 2.40%. General Motors has taken market share while maintaining pricing and growing in the electric vehicle and software services spaces. Ashland's shares benefited after the investment arm of Standard Industries, a prominent activist investor in the sector, announced that it took a 10% economic interest in the company, adding to investor confidence.

Ashland's agrimer eco-coat polymer seed coating wins U.S. EPA approval, expanding market access and enabling use across food and non-food pesticide formulations.

Ashland polymer seed coating from the Transformed Vegetable Oils (TVO) platform receives approval for all food and non-food uses in pesticide formulations

Ashland Inc. (ASH) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Ashland Q1 2026 loss narrowed y/y and its earnings topped estimates. Sales fell 5% as divestitures and softer end-market demand weighed on results.

Although the revenue and EPS for Ashland (ASH) give a sense of how its business performed in the quarter ended December 2025, it might be worth considering how some key metrics compare with Wall Street estimates and the year-ago numbers.

Ashland (ASH) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.26 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.23 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.28 per share a year ago.

Sales of $386 million, down five percent from the prior-year quarter Previously announced Avoca divestiture reduced overall sales by approximately $10 million or two percent versus the prior-year quarter; excluding the Avoca divestiture, sales declined three percent Loss from continuing operations of $14 million, or $(0.30) per diluted share Adjusted Income from Continuing Operations Excluding Intangibles Amortization Expense of $12 million, or $0.26 per diluted share Net loss of $12 million, or $(0.26) per diluted share Adjusted EBITDA of $58 million, down five percent from the prior-year quarter, with the Avoca divestiture contributing to a two percent or $1 million decline; excluding the Avoca divestiture, Adjusted EBITDA declined three percent   Cash flows provided by operating activities of $125 million; Ongoing Free Cash Flow2 of $26 million Narrowing full‑year fiscal 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance to $400–$420 million, reflecting approximately $11 million of temporary impacts from the Calvert City startup delay and recent weather-related disruptions, isolated to the second quarter WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) today announced financial results1 for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, which ended December 31, 2025, and narrowed its full-year fiscal 2026 outlook.