Ashland (ASH) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock?
ASH posts higher Q4 profit but weaker adjusted earnings as sales fall across key segments amid portfolio shifts.
While the top- and bottom-line numbers for Ashland (ASH) give a sense of how the business performed in the quarter ended September 2025, it could be worth looking at how some of its key metrics compare to Wall Street estimates and year-ago values.
| Specialty Retail Industry | Consumer Discretionary Sector | Guillermo Novo CEO | NYSE Exchange | 044186104 CUSIP |
| US Country | 3,200 Employees | 1 Dec 2025 Last Dividend | 15 May 2017 Last Split | 6 Apr 1983 IPO Date |
Ashland Inc. is a global leader in providing additives and specialty ingredients, with a broad operational footprint that spans North and Latin America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and other international markets. The company is organized into four main segments: Life Sciences, Personal Care, Specialty Additives, and Intermediates. Ashland’s offerings cater to a diverse array of consumer and industrial markets, including but not limited to architectural coatings, construction, energy, food and beverage, nutraceuticals, personal care, and pharmaceutical sectors. Initially known as Ashland Global Holdings Inc., the business underwent a rebranding to Ashland Inc. in August 2022. With roots dating back to 1924, Ashland has grown to establish its headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, marking its significance in the industry through innovation, customer focus, and a robust portfolio of products.
This segment is focused on delivering high-quality pharmaceutical solutions that include controlled release polymers, disintegrants, tablet coatings, thickeners, solubilizers, and tablet binders. In nutrition, Ashland offers thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and additives. Additionally, the nutraceutical solutions encompass products aimed at weight management, joint comfort, stomach and intestinal health, sports nutrition, and general wellness. Ashland also provides custom formulation, toll processing, and particle engineering services catering to specific customer needs.
Ashland delivers an array of nature-based, biodegradable, and performance ingredients in the personal care segment. These solutions support a wide range of applications, such as toothpastes, mouth washes and rinses, denture cleaning, and care products for teeth. Moreover, the company offers household suppliers with nature-derived rheology ingredients, biodegradable surface wetting agents, performance encapsulates, and specialty polymers, aiming at elevating the standard and efficiency of personal and household care products.
This segment encompasses a variety of products like rheology modifiers, foam control agents, surfactants and wetting agents, and pH neutralizers. Furthermore, it includes advanced ceramics used in catalytic converters, environmental filters, materials for the manufacturing of ceramic capacitors, plasma display panels, solar cells, ingredients for textile printing, thermoplastic metals, and alloys for welding. These additives are designed to enhance the performance and effectiveness of products across diverse industries.
Ashland's Intermediates segment produces crucial chemicals such as 1,4 butanediol and related derivatives, including n-methylpyrrolidone. These intermediates play a vital role in various manufacturing processes, serving industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to advanced materials and beyond.