Stock fact sheet · data as of
Ashland Inc. (ASH): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Basic Materials · Chemicals - Specialty · United States · Defensive
Is ASH undervalued?
At 71.59 (close of 16 Oct 2026), ASH trades 59% over the GLS average fair value of 44.92, with 1 of 9 models above the price. The stock earns none of the Wheel Score's Value points at this price. That is a statement about price against trailing fundamentals, not about the company's prospects - the Wall Street View and the Growth tab on the Quote page carry the forward numbers.
The 9 models disagree widely: EPV gives 12.56 while 10 Cap gives 164.77. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files ASH under Defensive: a low beta, a dividend and positive earnings.
Nine valuation models for ASH
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 28.09 | -61% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 32.16 | -55% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 42.33 | -41% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 16.84 | -76% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 13.29 | -81% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 164.77 | +130% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 69.67 | -3% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 24.57 | -66% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 12.56 | -82% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -32.80 | -146% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 78.29 | +9% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
On financial health ASH scores 8/9 (Piotroski): most of the nine tests - positive earnings and cash flow, falling debt, rising margins and turnover - are passed, which is the kind of balance sheet a wheel trader is happy to be assigned. The GLS Moat score is low at 1.8 out of 10, which says the ten-year record of revenue, earnings, margins and returns on capital has been inconsistent - growth and shocks rather than steady compounding.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC -24.3%, ROE -44.4%, ROA -18.3% - with debt at 0.83 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 9.9%.
The dividend yield is 2.33% at a payout ratio of 146%; for a wheel trader holding assigned shares the dividend adds to the covered-call premium, and the ex-dividend date is worth knowing before a call is sold. Revenue comes mainly from Specialty Additives 33%, Life Sciences 31%, Personal Care And Household 27% (quarter Q3 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 10/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales; the last recorded insider buy was on 21 Sep 2026.
| Piotroski F-score | 8 / 9 | ROIC | -24.3% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 1.8 / 10 | ROE | -44.4% |
| Debt / equity | 0.83 | ROA | -18.3% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 9.9% | Payout ratio | 146% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 55: Fair
ASH scores 55 out of 100 on the Wheel Score (Fair band, 50-64): a usable but unremarkable fit for the wheel strategy. The parts: Value 0/25, Health 18/20, Moat 3/15, Premium 20/20, Stability 14/20. Value (0/25) is where the points are missing.
Implied volatility is 40% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is 6,869 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 455k shares a day on a market cap of $3.3B, with a beta of 0.40 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 14 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 0 / 25 | -59% margin of safety | |
| Health | 18 / 20 | Piotroski 8/9 | |
| Moat | 3 / 15 | moat 1.8/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 40% | |
| Stability | 14 / 20 | 455k shares/day, $3.3B cap, beta 0.40 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 3 Nov 2026 (after the close), 18 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Chemicals - Specialty
The 12 companies below are the closest to Ashland Inc. by market cap within the Chemicals - Specialty industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVNT Avient Corporation | 39.00 | 31.56 | -24% | 56Fair | $3.6B |
| FUL H.B. Fuller Company | 51.57 | 56.98 | +10% | 72Good | $2.8B |
| CBT Cabot Corp. | 75.48 | 112.28 | +33% | 79Good | $3.9B |
| HWKN Hawkins, Inc. | 131.82 | 94.91 | -39% | 53Fair | $2.8B |
| WDFC WD-40 Company | 204.20 | 167.53 | -22% | 60Fair | $2.7B |
| KWR Quaker Houghton | 158.55 | 142.15 | -12% | 60Fair | $2.7B |
| NGVT Ingevity Corporation | 70.54 | 38.93 | -81% | 56Fair | $2.4B |
| PRM Perimeter Solutions, Inc. | 27.49 | 1.20 | -2200% | 45Weak | $4.5B |
| IOSP Innospec Inc. | 96.60 | 95.97 | -1% | 63Fair | $2.4B |
| CLMT Calumet Inc. | 58.24 | 10.34 | -463% | 45Weak | $5.1B |
| MTX Minerals Technologies Inc. | 63.75 | 50.48 | -26% | 45Weak | $2.0B |
| BCPC Balchem Corp | 170.53 | 79.03 | -116% | 60Fair | $5.4B |
Screen the whole market the same way
A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the same eight-rule screen, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about ASH
Is ASH undervalued right now?
No: at 71.59 the stock trades 59% above the GLS average fair value of 44.92 (data as of 16 Oct 2026), well beyond what trailing earnings, cash flow and book value support.
What is the Wheel Score of ASH and what does it mean?
ASH scores 55 out of 100 (Fair). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for ASH?
44.92 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Ashland Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 3 Nov 2026 (after the close), 18 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does ASH have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 146 listed contracts with 6,869 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 40% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.