Stock fact sheet · data as of
Ashland Inc. (ASH): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol ASH · Basic Materials · Chemicals - Specialty · United States · Blend
Is ASH undervalued?
At 76.44 (close of 5 Nov 2026), ASH trades 235% over the GLS average fair value of 22.83, 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: GLS Growth gives 0.2545 while 10 Cap gives 134.17. 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.
Ranked against every other company we cover, neither cheapness nor growth clearly wins for ASH, so the nightly engine files it under Blend (value score 26, growth score 24, out of 100).
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 | 27.86 | -64% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 8.87 | -88% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 3.31 | -96% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 1.32 | -98% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 0.2545 | -100% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 134.17 | +76% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 4.17 | -95% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 24.57 | -68% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 0.9662 | -99% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -29.33 | -138% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 77.88 | +2% | 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 2.5 out of 10: returns on capital, margins or the balance sheet have not shown a lasting edge yet - often a young company, a thin-margin business or one that has only recently turned profitable.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 0.1%, ROE 0.2%, ROA 0.1% - with debt at 0.80 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 7.9%.
The dividend yield is 2.18% at a payout ratio of 1900%; 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 | 0.1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 2.5 / 10 | ROE | 0.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.80 | ROA | 0.1% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 7.9% | Payout ratio | 1900% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 36: Weak
ASH scores 36 out of 100 on the Wheel Score, in the Weak band (under 50): it fails filter 3, below fair value - trades 235% above our fair value; and filter 5, can repay its debt - 4.0 years to repay its debt (over 3), and the parts are thin too - value weak, premium strong, moat weak, health strong, red flags good, option trading weak, stability fair. The score is not a judgement on the company; it says the price, quality and premium do not line up for selling puts on it today.
Implied volatility is 36% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% sweet spot the Wheel Score rewards most: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is 2,680 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 1.0M shares a day on a market cap of $3.5B, with a beta of 0.36 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Passes | Listed options with 1,000+ contracts of open interest and 100+ traded a day |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Fails | trades 235% above our fair value |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Passes | Piotroski F-score 6 or more out of 9 (a company with no score on file passes) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Fails | 4.0 years to repay its debt (over 3) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Passes | Implied volatility 25-80% (enough premium, not a lottery ticket) |
| 8 | Big enough | Passes | Market cap $1 billion or more |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Weak | 235% above fair value | |
| Premium | Strong | implied volatility 36% | |
| Moat | Weak | moat 2.5/10 | |
| Health | Strong | Piotroski 8/9 | |
| Red Flags | Good | Red Flags score 82/100 | |
| Option trading | Weak | 1,079 contracts a day, 2,680 open interest | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 0.36, $3.5B company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 1 Feb 2027, 88 days away - outside the window of a 30-45-day put sold today.
No analyst upgrades or downgrades were recorded in the last 30 days.
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.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| FUL H.B. Fuller Company | 52.57 | 57.21 | +8% | 39Weak | $2.8B |
| AVNT Avient Corporation | 47.86 | 34.80 | -38% | 38Weak | $4.4B |
| KWR Quaker Houghton | 157.30 | 121.69 | -29% | 31Weak | $2.7B |
| PRM Perimeter Solutions, Inc. | 28.13 | 1.20 | -2253% | 25Weak | $4.6B |
| NGVT Ingevity Corporation | 73.73 | 36.84 | -100% | 34Weak | $2.5B |
| SXT Sensient Technologies Corporation | 125.82 | 89.74 | -40% | 37Weak | $5.4B |
| BCPC Balchem Corp | 182.58 | 85.49 | -114% | 30Weak | $5.8B |
| CC The Chemours Company | 13.79 | 18.07 | +24% | 43Weak | $2.1B |
Scan 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 top 10 stocks that pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters, 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 76.44 the stock trades 235% above the GLS average fair value of 22.83 (data as of 5 Nov 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 36 out of 100 (Weak) - it fails Wheel Trade Filters 3, 5. The Wheel Score ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned - in two parts: the 9 pass/fail Wheel Trade Filters (busy options, a real business, below fair value, Piotroski 6 or more, debt it can repay, a Red Flags score of 60 or more, implied volatility of 25-80%, a $1 billion company, $5 a share) and a ranking of how strongly a stock passes on value, premium, moat, health, red flags, option trading and stability. A stock that fails any filter stays under 70; 70-84 is Good, 85 and above is Prime. The Sunday Scan is the top 10 that pass, sorted by Wheel Score.
What is the GLS fair value for ASH?
22.83 per share as of 5 Nov 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 1 Feb 2027, 88 days from the data date of 5 Nov 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 72 listed contracts with 2,680 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 36% 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.