Ashland (ASH) Lags Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Core Viewpoint - Ashland's quarterly earnings of $0.99 per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.10, representing a 10% earnings surprise and a decline from $1.27 per share a year ago [1][2] Financial Performance - The company reported revenues of $479 million for the quarter ended March 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.86% and down from $575 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Ashland has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times and topped revenue estimates just once [2] Stock Performance - Ashland shares have declined approximately 25.2% since the beginning of the year, compared to a 5.5% decline in the S&P 500 [3] Future Outlook - The company's earnings outlook will be crucial for stock price movement, with current consensus EPS estimates at $1.39 for the coming quarter and $4.12 for the current fiscal year [7] - The Zacks Rank for Ashland is currently 4 (Sell), indicating expected underperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Chemical - Specialty industry, to which Ashland belongs, is currently in the bottom 42% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting potential challenges ahead [8]