Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Sold by HBK Sorce Advisory LLC

HBK Sorce Advisory LLC decreased its position in 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 1,506 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 127 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $412,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.4% during the third quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter valued at $39,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD stock opened at $235.91 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.81. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $212.24 and a 1 year high of $307.71. The firm has a market cap of $52.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $235.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $259.91.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by ($0.18). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 18.82% and a return on equity of 16.84%. The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.64 EPS. Air Products and Chemicals’s quarterly revenue was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.56%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on APD shares. UBS Group downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $328.00 to $241.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $305.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 16th. TheStreet downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $276.36.

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.