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AshlandASH -1.09%75 Forward PE Ratio is 16.66 as of Aug. 11, 2026. GuruFocus rates ASH with a GF Score™ of 75/100 and a GF Value™ of $68.64 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 9 warning signs investors should review. Among 662 Chemicals companies, Ashland ranks better than 56.19% on this metric.
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
Ashland Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
Ashland Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Ashland's Forward PE Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Ashland Forward PE Ratio Chart
Ashland Annual Data
Trend
2016-09
2017-09
2018-09
2019-09
2020-09
2021-09
2022-09
2023-09
2024-09
2025-09
Forward PE Ratio
15.77
19.53
20.45
21.05
20.28
15.95
14.99
13.04
14.49
10.86
Ashland Quarterly Data
2015-12
2016-03
2016-06
2016-09
2016-12
2017-03
2017-06
2017-09
2017-12
2018-03
2018-06
2018-09
2018-12
2019-03
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2022-03
2022-06
2022-09
2022-12
2023-03
2023-06
2023-09
2023-12
2024-03
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
2026-03
2026-06
Forward PE Ratio
13.64
13.42
14.35
15.77
23.70
28.49
18.32
19.53
21.60
22.52
20.16
20.45
16.34
24.04
18.52
21.05
23.87
17.57
20.53
20.28
18.35
18.94
15.20
15.95
21.69
19.49
17.04
14.99
16.81
15.63
12.42
13.04
19.12
21.19
15.75
14.49
16.03
13.69
10.70
10.86
15.17
13.64
14.67
ASH vs FUL, WDFC, HWKN: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, Ashland's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Ashland Forward PE Ratio vs Chemicals Industry
For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, Ashland's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Ashland's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
Ashland (ASH) has a Forward PE Ratio of 16.66 as of Aug. 11, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Ashland and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Ashland ranks #290 out of 662 companies in the Chemicals industry, placing it in the top 43.8%.
Is Ashland's Forward PE Ratio too high?
Ashland's current Forward PE Ratio is 16.66. The Chemicals industry median Forward PE Ratio is 18.48. Ashland's value of 16.66 is 9.8% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Ashland ranks #290 out of 662 companies in the Chemicals industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Ashland has a GF Score™ of 75/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Ashland's Forward PE Ratio compare to FUL and WDFC?
According to the Chemicals industry distribution chart, Ashland ranks #290 out of 662 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This puts Ashland in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 18.48. Ashland's value of 16.66 is 9.8% below this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Chemicals company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Chemicals companies is 18.48, based on 662 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Ashland's current Forward PE Ratio of 16.66 is 9.8% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Ashland and its competitors. For the Chemicals industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 18.48 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Ashland's current Forward PE Ratio is 16.66. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Ashland stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Ashland (ASH) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $68.64, compared to a current price of $74.58 — trading 8.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 16.66 and 9.8% below the Chemicals industry median of 18.48. Ashland's overall GF Score™ is 75/100 with 9 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Ashland (ASH), the current Forward PE Ratio is 16.66 as of Aug. 11, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Ashland (ASH) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Ashland stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $74.58 is trading 8.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $68.64.
GuruFocus considers Ashland to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for ASH:
Forward PE Ratio: 16.66
GF Value™: $68.64 vs. price of $74.58 (8.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 9.8% below the Chemicals median (#290 of 662)
No single metric tells the full story. See the ASH stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Ashland Inc. is a specialty materials company serving markets including pharmaceuticals, personal care, food and beverages, coatings, construction, energy, and electronics. It operates through four segments: Life Sciences, Personal Care, Specialty Additives, and Intermediates. Life Sciences contributes the highest revenue, offering functional additives for pharmaceutical and nutrition applications. Personal Care provides ingredients for skin, hair, oral care, and household products, while Specialty Additives supplies performance-enhancing additives for coatings and. Intermediates produce BDO and related derivatives used in polymers, electronics, agriculture, and pharmaceutical applications. The company generates sales across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and regions.
75GF Score
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Forward PE Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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