Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management Purchases New Stake in AngloGold Ashanti PLC $AU

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management acquired a new position in AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 25,367 shares of the mining company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,784,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,748,740 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $1,589,484,000 after purchasing an additional 464,333 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 1,175.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,967,173 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $226,354,000 after purchasing an additional 4,577,807 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 1.8% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 4,852,722 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $219,100,000 after acquiring an additional 87,679 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 4.6% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 3,197,861 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $149,212,000 after purchasing an additional 140,410 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in AngloGold Ashanti by 274.6% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,137,721 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $142,986,000 after acquiring an additional 2,300,204 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 36.09% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AU has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research raised shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Wall Street Zen raised AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 13th. Citigroup lifted 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. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price target on AngloGold Ashanti from $92.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $100.00.

AngloGold Ashanti Price Performance

NYSE AU opened at $114.38 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.75 billion, a PE ratio of 22.04 and a beta of 0.59. AngloGold Ashanti PLC has a 12-month low of $28.44 and a 12-month high of $115.81. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $97.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $79.51. 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 (NYSE:AU) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The mining company reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90. The business had revenue of $3.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.99 billion. AngloGold Ashanti had a return on equity of 29.70% and a net margin of 26.65%. As a group, equities analysts predict that AngloGold Ashanti PLC will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AngloGold Ashanti Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a $0.173 dividend. This represents a $0.69 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. AngloGold Ashanti’s dividend payout ratio is currently 70.13%.

AngloGold Ashanti News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AngloGold Ashanti this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AngloGold expanded its Nevada footprint via the Augusta deal and emphasized growth in the U.S., supporting longer‑term production optionality and investor confidence. AngloGold Ashanti Expands Nevada Footprint With Augusta Deal And Growth Focus
• Positive Sentiment: AngloGold led a C$44M strategic investment in Thesis Gold (with participation by Centerra), expanding its exposure to early‑stage exploration upside and signalling willingness to back pipeline deals. Thesis Gold Announces Strategic Investment by AngloGold Ashanti
• Positive Sentiment: Research pieces are highlighting AU as a low‑beta and dividend‑yield candidate, making it attractive to defensive and income‑seeking investors amid market volatility. That increases demand from portfolio managers seeking stability. Best Low-Beta Stocks to Own Right Away: CBOE, AU, SKM & SSL
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets included AU among top dividend or income‑oriented names, which supports buying from income-focused investors and dividend-screen strategies. Buy 5 Top-Ranked Solid Dividend-Paying Stocks to Remain Safe in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer‑comparison pieces examine AU versus other basic‑materials/mining names; they provide context for relative valuation and performance but don’t introduce new company‑specific catalysts. AngloGold Ashanti Plc Versus Peers What Comparisons Matter Most
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage comparing AU’s YTD performance to peers notes some outperformance, which may attract momentum flows but is informational rather than a fresh fundamental driver. Is AngloGold Ashanti (AU) Stock Outpacing Its Basic Materials Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly results: AU reported revenue of $3.07B (above estimates) and strong margins/ROE, but EPS of $1.68 missed consensus ($1.90). The EPS miss is a short‑term headwind, though management commentary/slide deck may have tempered the reaction. Earnings Report and Conference Call

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.