InvesTrust Invests $7.55 Million in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

InvesTrust acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 26,076 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,552,000. Air Products and Chemicals makes up about 2.1% of InvesTrust’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Fulton Bank N.A. grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 71.1% during the 4th quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 1,571 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $456,000 after buying an additional 653 shares during the last quarter. Bard Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Bard Financial Services Inc. now owns 9,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,755,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 3,112 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $903,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,924 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,138,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 28.4% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 746 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $216,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE APD traded down $0.22 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $286.11. The company had a trading volume of 421,728 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,123,513. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $212.24 and a 1-year high of $337.00. The stock has a market cap of $63.63 billion, a PE ratio of 16.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $310.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $292.33.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.47%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.21%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APD has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 23rd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Mizuho increased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $308.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, November 18th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $331.53.

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.