Ashland (ASH) Reports Q4 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

For the quarter ended September 2024, Ashland (ASH) reported revenue of $522 million, up 0.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.26, compared to $0.41 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.63% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $518.74 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.33, the EPS surprise was -5.26%.While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.Here is how Ashland performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Revenue- Intermediates: $36 million compared to the $34.09 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -2.7% year over year. Revenue- Specialty Additives: $144 million versus $139.74 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a 0% change. Revenue- Personal Care: $162 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $173.70 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +11%. Revenue- Life Sciences: $192 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $182.52 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -5.4%. Adjusted EBITDA- Life Science: $56 million compared to the $53.49 million average estimate based on two analysts. Adjusted EBITDA- Intermediates: $10 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $9.02 million. Adjusted EBITDA- Specialty Additives: $29 million versus $34.10 million estimated by two analysts on average. Adjusted EBITDA- Personal Care: $47 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $48.15 million. View all Key Company Metrics for Ashland here>>>Shares of Ashland have returned +1.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockIt's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ashland Inc. (ASH): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks