Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC Buys 149,855 Shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC $AU

Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU) by 121.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 272,740 shares of the mining company’s stock after purchasing an additional 149,855 shares during the quarter. AngloGold Ashanti accounts for approximately 2.6% of Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC owned 0.05% of AngloGold Ashanti worth $26,889,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SteelPeak Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti in the first quarter valued at about $2,434,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 5.7% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 654,258 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $67,729,000 after acquiring an additional 35,468 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 55.0% during the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 19,085 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $1,858,000 after acquiring an additional 6,773 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 10.3% in the first quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 7,896 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $769,000 after acquiring an additional 738 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the first quarter worth about $1,013,000. 36.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

NYSE:AU opened at $76.75 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $87.82 and its 200-day moving average is $96.81. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 1-year low of $45.36 and a 1-year high of $129.14. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 2.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a market cap of $38.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.25 and a beta of 0.65.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The mining company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.25. AngloGold Ashanti had a net margin of 31.11% and a return on equity of 36.41%. The business had revenue of $3.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.26 billion. Equities research analysts anticipate that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 8.91 earnings per share for the current year.

AngloGold Ashanti Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th were paid a dividend of $1.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. This is an increase from AngloGold Ashanti’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. AngloGold Ashanti’s payout ratio is 68.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on AU shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Freedom Capital raised shares of AngloGold Ashanti to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $155.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Roth Capital decreased their target price on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $121.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti from $114.00 to $111.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AngloGold Ashanti has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $110.50.

AngloGold Ashanti Company 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.