Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Increases Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 59.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 374,442 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 139,223 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $111,488,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CX Institutional raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,343 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $400,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.3% during the third quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO now owns 11,593 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,452,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Stockton raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Stockton now owns 1,813 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $540,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 22.3% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 203 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chesapeake Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 2,189 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $652,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE:APD traded up $8.18 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $293.43. 527,460 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,124,916. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.08, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $309.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $292.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $212.24 and a 52 week high of $337.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.41%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 41.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 8th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $308.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. StockNews.com raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $331.53.

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.