Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. Takes $494,000 Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 1,895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $494,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Bridge LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.4% in the third quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter worth about $39,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Seaport Res Ptn downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $305.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 16th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Argus downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $304.00 to $295.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $280.29.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $0.93 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $242.27. The stock had a trading volume of 1,439,940 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,653,677. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $239.43 and its 200 day moving average is $263.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.86 billion, a PE ratio of 23.12, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.81. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $212.24 and a twelve month high of $307.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.00 by ($0.18). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.84% and a net margin of 18.82%. The company had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.64 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 66.79%.

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.