AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) Shares Up 5.7% – What’s Next?

AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU) shares were up 5.7% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $46.90 and last traded at $46.34. Approximately 1,230,583 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 55% from the average daily volume of 2,759,125 shares. The stock had previously closed at $43.83.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on AU shares. Scotiabank boosted their price target on AngloGold Ashanti from $34.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday. HSBC restated a “reduce” rating and set a $35.00 target price on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 4th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $36.80.

AngloGold Ashanti Trading Down 5.3 %

The company has a market cap of $18.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.50 and a beta of 0.81. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $34.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $29.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The mining company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.75 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that AngloGold Ashanti plc will post 3.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were given a dividend of $0.69 per share. This is a boost from AngloGold Ashanti’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. This represents a yield of 2.8%. AngloGold Ashanti’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.13%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AngloGold Ashanti

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Whittier Trust Co. bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 210.6% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 796 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors own 36.09% of the company’s stock.

AngloGold Ashanti Company Profile

AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania.