Generation Capital Management LLC Invests $1.21 Million in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Generation Capital Management LLC bought a new stake 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 firm bought 4,159 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $1,206,000. Air Products and Chemicals accounts for about 1.0% of Generation Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $919,721,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $885,371,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $436,636,000. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1,615.5% during the 4th quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 530,005 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $153,723,000 after purchasing an additional 499,110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $71,307,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total value of $181,706.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 719 shares of the company's stock, valued at $221,811.50. This represents a 45.03 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total transaction of $474,255.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,462 shares in the company, valued at $462,240.54. The trade was a 50.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on APD. BNP Paribas raised Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $370.00 to $335.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Bank of America downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $332.18.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE:APD traded down $0.89 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $264.47. 437,867 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,484,312. The company has a market capitalization of $58.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. 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 company's 50 day moving average is $290.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $306.22. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $228.81 and a twelve month high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.