Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. Raises Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,093 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 112 shares during the period. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $325,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 72.9% during the 1st quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,428 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $346,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,653 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,369,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 1st quarter valued at about $281,000. Iron Gate Global Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 1st quarter valued at about $11,310,000. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 25.4% in the 1st quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,799 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:APD opened at $331.83 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $73.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.31, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.81. 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 $332.69. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $310.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $282.91.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.13%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APD has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI raised Air Products and Chemicals from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $305.00 to $365.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $295.00 to $364.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Mizuho increased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $308.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 23rd. Eight investment 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.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $331.53.

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.