Ashland (ASH) Reports Q1 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

Ashland (ASH) reported $386 million in revenue for the quarter ended December 2025, representing a year-over-year decline of 4.7%. EPS of $0.26 for the same period compares to $0.28 a year ago.The reported revenue represents a surprise of -5.47% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $408.33 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.23, the EPS surprise was +12.46%.While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.Here is how Ashland performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:Revenue- Intermediates: $31 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $30.26 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -6.1%.Revenue- Life Sciences: $139 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $145.72 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +3.7%.Revenue- Personal Care: $123 million versus $131.71 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -8.2% change.Revenue- Specialty Additives: $102 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $110.58 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -11.3%.Revenue- Intersegment sales: $-9 million versus $-10 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -18.2% change.Adjusted EBITDA- Life Science: $31 million compared to the $32.29 million average estimate based on three analysts.Adjusted EBITDA- Personal Care: $26 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $26.78 million.Adjusted EBITDA- Specialty Additives: $15 million compared to the $15.65 million average estimate based on three analysts.Adjusted EBITDA- Intermediates: $1 million versus $2.05 million estimated by three analysts on average.OPERATING INCOME- Unallocated and other: $-26 million compared to the $-17.25 million average estimate based on two analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for Ashland here>>>Shares of Ashland have returned +2.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.#1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA)The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.One under-the-radar chipmaker is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. It specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ashland Inc. (ASH): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks