FIL Ltd Invests $7.37 Million in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

FIL Ltd purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 25,413 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $7,371,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 39.9% in the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 3,973 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,183,000 after purchasing an additional 1,134 shares during the period. Chelsea Counsel Co. increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.5% during the third quarter. Chelsea Counsel Co. now owns 3,377 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,005,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Tudor Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter worth about $1,654,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 35.5% in the 3rd quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 2,930 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $872,000 after purchasing an additional 768 shares during the period. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1,205.1% in the 3rd quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 38,423 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $11,440,000 after buying an additional 35,479 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on APD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 target price (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. BMO Capital Markets lowered Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $332.18.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total value of $616,896.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,834 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,173,204. This represents a 34.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total value of $181,706.50. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 719 shares in the company, valued at $221,811.50. This trade represents a 45.03 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE:APD traded down $7.13 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $265.45. 1,305,256 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,492,009. 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 fifty day moving average price is $295.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $307.20. The firm has a market cap of $59.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $227.53 and a one year high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (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%. Research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. 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. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.70%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 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.