Ashland shares surge 11.01% after-hours as Standard Investments discloses 5.7% stake.

Ashland Inc. surged 11.01% in after-hours trading following Standard Investments LLC’s disclosure of a 5.7% stake in the company, signaling potential activist involvement. The investment firm’s 13D filing highlighted its intent to engage with Ashland’s management and board on strategic, governance, and capital structure matters, sparking investor optimism about value-creation initiatives. This move aligns with the stock’s upward trajectory, as Standard Investments’ openness to strategic changes and ongoing review of its position reinforced market confidence. Concurrently, analyst upgrades from Deutsche Bank and Mizuho, raising price targets to $58 and $60 respectively, further bolstered bullish sentiment, though the primary catalyst was Standard Investments’ stake acquisition.