Cwm LLC Boosts Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Cwm LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 3.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,398 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the period. Cwm LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,909,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in APD. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 167.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 6,921,011 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,894,973,000 after buying an additional 4,330,471 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $852,288,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 50.6% during the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,547,202 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $374,841,000 after buying an additional 520,179 shares in the last quarter. Scharf Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth approximately $87,173,000. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 66.1% during the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 860,519 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $207,807,000 after buying an additional 342,322 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE APD traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $279.23. 302,459 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,739,798. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $212.24 and a 52 week high of $307.71. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $267.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $250.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.31. The company has a market cap of $62.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.20, a PEG ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.81.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 63.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on APD shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $310.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $291.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $240.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $296.53.

Air Products and Chemicals 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.