Is Ashland Inc. officially confirming a sale, and who is advising the company?

No, Ashland Inc. is not officially confirming a sale; rather, it is 'exploring a potential sale', according to a Bloomberg report citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The company is working with Citigroup Inc. and Lazard Inc. as its financial advisors during discussions with both strategic and financial suitors.

Which potential buyer is specifically named in the news report?

The news report explicitly names Standard Industries as one of the parties involved in talks, stating: 'The report said that Standard Industries — which is one of ...' — though the sentence is cut off and no further identifying details about Standard Industries’ role or status in the process are provided in the given text.