Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc. Increases Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc. increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 3.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 21,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals makes up about 1.0% of Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $6,236,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $374,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. HUB Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $444,000. Magnetar Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $716,000. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 780.7% during the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 13,113 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,803,000 after buying an additional 11,624 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on APD. Barclays raised Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $315.00 to $365.00 in a research report on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $320.00 target price (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Air Products and Chemicals to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $342.65.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total value of $1,419,570.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. This trade represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Victoria Brifo sold 2,362 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.82, for a total transaction of $745,966.84. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 10,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,172,411.90. The trade was a 19.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

NYSE:APD opened at $291.35 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.82 billion, a PE ratio of 16.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $227.53 and a 52 week high of $341.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $313.19 and its 200-day moving average price is $308.22.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.46%. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

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.