Bank of New Hampshire Increases Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Bank of New Hampshire increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 28.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 336 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the quarter. Bank of New Hampshire’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $99,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. WR Wealth Planners LLC boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the 4th 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 boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 33.3% during the 4th 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 last quarter. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 1.3%

APD stock opened at $279.94 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.69 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $270.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $295.70. The stock 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.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.85 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on APD shares. Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. 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 on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $290.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $331.00.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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.