Ashland(US:ASH) ZACKS·2025-11-06 13:16Core Insights - Ashland Global Holdings Inc. reported a profit of $32 million or 71 cents per share for Q4 fiscal 2025, an increase from $16 million or 33 cents in the same quarter last year [1] - Adjusted earnings were $1.08 per share, down from $1.26 year-over-year, and missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.17 [1] - Sales decreased by 8% year-over-year to $478 million, but exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $474 million [2] Segment Performance - Life Sciences segment sales fell 10% year-over-year to $173 million, slightly above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $172 million, primarily due to portfolio optimization [3] - Personal Care division sales declined 7% year-over-year to $151 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $148 million, mainly due to the divestiture of the Avoca business line [4] - Specialty Additives segment sales decreased 9% year-over-year to $131 million, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $129 million, attributed to portfolio actions including the divestment of low-margin construction business [5] - Intermediates segment sales dropped 8% year-over-year to $33 million, missing the consensus estimate of $34 million, largely due to lower prices and reduced merchant volumes [5] Financial Overview - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter were $215 million, up approximately 3.9% sequentially [6] - Long-term debt increased to $1,384 million, up roughly 2.6% from the previous quarter [6] Future Outlook - For fiscal 2026, Ashland anticipates sales in the range of $1.835 billion to $1.905 billion and adjusted EBITDA between $400 million and $430 million [7] Stock Performance - Ashland's shares have declined by 37.1% over the past year, compared to a 12.7% decline in the industry [8]