Principal Financial Group Inc. Boosts Stake in AngloGold Ashanti PLC $AU

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU) by 181.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,912 shares of the mining company’s stock after buying an additional 39,302 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in AngloGold Ashanti were worth $4,284,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 129.0% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 490 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors purchased a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 330.4% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 964 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 740 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 27.3% in the third quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 1,006 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AU has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 13th. Roth Mkm increased their price objective on AngloGold Ashanti from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on AngloGold Ashanti from $128.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.00.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

Shares of AU stock opened at $109.89 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $55.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.21 and a beta of 0.59. The company’s 50 day moving average is $95.06 and its 200 day moving average is $77.51. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 2.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 52-week low of $28.44 and a 52-week high of $115.81.

About AngloGold Ashanti

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.