Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Purchased by Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC

Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 27.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,253 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,132 shares during the period. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,549,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. WR Wealth Planners LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 33.3% during the fourth quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc now owns 140 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:APD opened at $279.94 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $62.30 billion, a PE ratio of 16.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.69 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $270.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $295.70.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83 by ($0.14). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.85 earnings per share. Air Products and Chemicals’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.56%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 104.07%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and cut their target price for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $331.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Company Profile

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, equipment, and related services in the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, India, and internationally. The company produces atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, and argon; process gases, such as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and syngas; and specialty gases for customers in various industries, including refining, chemical, manufacturing, electronics, energy production, medical, food, and metals.