Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Position Increased by Ashton Thomas Securities LLC

Ashton Thomas Securities LLC lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,175 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 326 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals comprises approximately 0.9% of Ashton Thomas Securities LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 26th largest position. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $3,241,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $885,371,000. Sachem Head Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter worth about $163,013,000. TOMS Capital Investment Management LP purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter valued at about $159,886,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at about $71,307,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 25.2% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,165,733 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $350,139,000 after purchasing an additional 234,322 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on APD shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped 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 research note on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday, January 27th. BNP Paribas upgraded Air Products and Chemicals to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays raised Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $315.00 to $365.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $342.65.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

NYSE APD opened at $294.06 on Tuesday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $227.53 and a 1 year high of $341.14. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $313.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $308.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a market cap of $65.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.08, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.43%. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total value of $616,896.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,834 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,173,204. This trade represents a 34.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total value of $181,706.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 719 shares in the company, valued at $221,811.50. This represents a 45.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604. Insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

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.