Ashland Inc Stock Downgraded (ASH)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Ashland (NYSE:ASH) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, good cash flow from operations and solid stock price performance. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including disappointing return on equity and poor profit margins.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 2.1%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 11.4%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
• Net operating cash flow has significantly increased by 51.00% to $225.00 million when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, ASHLAND INC has also vastly surpassed the industry average cash flow growth rate of 0.59%.
• Investors have apparently begun to recognize positive factors similar to those we have mentioned in this report, including earnings growth. This has helped drive up the company's shares by a sharp 26.81% over the past year, a rise that has exceeded that of the S&P 500 Index. Setting our sights on the months ahead, however, we feel that the stock's sharp appreciation over the last year has driven it to a price level which is now relatively expensive compared to the rest of its industry. The implication is that its reduced upside potential is not good enough to warrant further investment at this time.
• The gross profit margin for ASHLAND INC is currently lower than what is desirable, coming in at 27.60%. Regardless of ASH's low profit margin, it has managed to increase from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, ASH's net profit margin of -13.32% significantly underperformed when compared to the industry average.
• The company's current return on equity has slightly decreased from the same quarter one year prior. This implies a minor weakness in the organization. Compared to other companies in the Chemicals industry and the overall market, ASHLAND INC's return on equity significantly trails that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.

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Ashland Inc. operates as a specialty chemicals company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Specialty Ingredients, Water Technologies, Performance Materials, and Consumer Markets. The company has a P/E ratio of 147.8, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Ashland has a market cap of $5.59 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and chemicals industry. Shares are up 23.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

You can view the full Ashland Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

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