Janus Henderson Group PLC Sells 27,009 Shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC $AU

Janus Henderson Group PLC lowered its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU) by 22.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 91,321 shares of the mining company’s stock after selling 27,009 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in AngloGold Ashanti were worth $8,899,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in AngloGold Ashanti during the first quarter valued at about $321,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 30.3% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,023 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 238 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 106.2% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,367 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $153,000 after purchasing an additional 1,734 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 88.4% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 136,543 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $6,200,000 after buying an additional 64,066 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,740,000. Institutional investors own 36.09% of the company’s stock.

AngloGold Ashanti Trading Up 8.7%

Shares of AngloGold Ashanti stock opened at $88.60 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $83.69 and a 200-day moving average of $95.84. The stock has a market cap of $44.73 billion, a PE ratio of 11.88 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 2.11 and a current ratio of 2.71. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 52-week low of $52.05 and a 52-week high of $129.14.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The mining company reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.03 by ($0.05). AngloGold Ashanti had a net margin of 32.19% and a return on equity of 39.54%. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 8.19 EPS for the current year.

AngloGold Ashanti Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 21st will be given a $0.72 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 21st. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. AngloGold Ashanti’s payout ratio is 62.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on AU shares. Freedom Capital raised shares of AngloGold Ashanti to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Roth Capital decreased their price objective on AngloGold Ashanti from $121.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $155.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $110.50.

AngloGold Ashanti Profile

AngloGold Ashanti is a global gold mining company engaged in the exploration, development, production, processing and sale of gold. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company’s core activities span the full mining value chain from greenfield exploration and mine development through to ore processing and rehabilitation. Gold is the primary commodity produced, with individual operations sometimes yielding other by‑products depending on local geology and processing methods.

The company was formed in 2004 through the merger of AngloGold and Ashanti Goldfields, creating a diversified international gold producer.