NewEdge Advisors LLC Has $14.10 Million Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

NewEdge Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 7.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 48,625 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 4,102 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $14,103,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the 4th quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on APD. BNP Paribas upgraded Air Products and Chemicals to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $370.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $332.18.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:APD opened at $261.47 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $58.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.18, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $227.76 and a 12 month high of $341.14. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $294.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $306.88. 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 (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.58%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total value of $1,419,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at $4,502,560.58. This trade represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Wilbur Mok sold 1,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.88, for a total value of $410,644.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,193 shares in the company, valued at $1,008,604.84. The trade was a 28.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

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.