Ashland Inc. ASH has accelerated the application of its new super wetting technology platform, which was unveiled last September. The company has commercialized the easy-wet 300 n super wetting agent for corn, soy and wheat, as well as watermelon, flowers and other produce such as bananas, lettuce and tomatoes.  Successful field trials and client pilots over the last year have validated Ashland's strategy and demonstrated its commitment to rapidly scaling high-performance, creative and sustainable technology.

Easy-wet 300 n is a wetting agent for crop formulations that is biodegradable, nonionic, silicone-free and easier to process. The agent also produces minimum foaming. Easy-wet 300 n, which has been developed utilizing proprietary, patented technology, decreases spray drift beyond targeted crops and shows greater effectiveness at lower concentrations in pesticide mixes. It offers higher wettability than non-silicone, non-ionic surfactants . The solution effectively reduces water surface tension, ensuring that active ingredients are delivered evenly across leaf surfaces.

Ashland's technology enables agricultural retailers to increase crop yield, hence facilitating organic growth. Its novel easy-wet 300 n wetting agent is biodegradable according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development standards. It is non-phytotoxic and improves pesticide adhesion to leaves in a silicone-free formulation with environmentally friendly properties.

The easy-wet 300 n wetting agent addresses the challenge of improving crop yield on less land while also supporting customers' sustainability objectives. The new wetting agent provides excellent performance and gives customers greater control over their formulations. 

Shares of Ashland have gained 5.7% over the past year against the industry’s 8.3% decline.

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For the fiscal fourth quarter, ASH expects sales to be in the range of $530-$540 million and adjusted EBITDA to be in the band of $130-$140 million. The company expects adjusted EBITDA for the fiscal year to be in the range of $465-$475 million. It projects sales to be around $2.1 billion.

ASH's Zacks Rank & Key Picks

ASH currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS, Eldorado Gold Corporation EGO and Hawkins, Inc. HWKN. 

Carpenter Technology currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). CRS beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 15.9%. The company's shares have soared 111.7% in the past year.  You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Eldorado’s current-year earnings is pegged at $1.35 per share, indicating a year-over-year rise of 136.8%. The consensus estimate for EGO's current-year earnings has gone up in the past 30 days. EGO, which currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1, beat the consensus estimate in the last four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 430.3%. The company's shares have gained roughly 71.6% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hawkins’ current fiscal-year earnings is pegged at $4.14 per share, indicating a rise of 15.3% from the year-ago level. The consensus estimate for HWKN’s current fiscal year earnings has increased 12.8% in the past 60 days. HWKN, which currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has gained around 99.1% in the past year.

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