Ashland Wraps Up Expansion of Pharmaceutical Plant in Brazil

Ashland Inc. ASH has completed a $10 million expansion of its pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Cabreuva, Brazil. The investment considerably increases Ashland's pharmaceutical footprint and capabilities in the region, allowing it to address rising market demand for coated tablets in Latin America and Brazil. Between 2019 and 2023, the consumption of coated tablets in Latin America increased by an average of 4.3% per year, with Brazil experiencing a 5.7% annual growth rate.The company is investing in modernizing equipment for microbial protection in personal care applications at its Technical Center in Sao Paulo. This follows previous investments in expanding its bioresorbable polymers facility in Mullingar, Ireland, and biofunctionals R&D lab in Shanghai, China.The new cutting-edge equipment expands Ashland's capabilities in tablet coating application, color matching, stability and quality evaluation. The company can now provide bespoke solutions to industry needs, as well as new solutions with ultra-high solids coatings, moisture protection, odor and flavor masking, and modified release systems, owing to R&D lab advancements. To assure optimal performance, local Ashland personnel received specialized training at the company's headquarters in the United States, as well as from equipment makers.Shares of Ashland have lost 39.3% in the past year compared with the industry’s 2% decline.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchFor fiscal 2025, ASH expects sales to be between $1.90 billion and $2.05 billion, while adjusted EBITDA is projected in the range of $430-$470 million.Ashland Inc. Price and Consensus Ashland Inc. price-consensus-chart | Ashland Inc. QuoteASH’s Rank & Key PicksASH currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS, CSW Industrials Inc. CSWI and Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. AXTACarpenter Technology currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). CRS beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 15.7%. The company's shares have soared 156.6% in the past year. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CSW Industrials’ current fiscal-year earnings is pegged at $8.50 per share. CSWI, carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 at present, surpassed the consensus estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average earnings surprise of 10.1%. The company's shares have rallied 29.4% in the past year.Axalta Coating Systems, which currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1, beat the consensus estimate in each of the trailing four quarters. In this time frame, it has delivered an earnings surprise of roughly 16.3%, on average. AXTA’s shares have gained 1% over the past year.  Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant 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 Report Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS): Free Stock Analysis Report Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. (AXTA): Free Stock Analysis Report CSW Industrials, Inc. (CSWI): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks