Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. Sells 54,832 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lessened its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 17.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 262,188 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 54,832 shares during the quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.12% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $76,045,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at $919,721,000. Blair William & Co. IL raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 103,125 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $29,910,000 after acquiring an additional 1,208 shares in the last quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 28.9% in the 4th quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 11,080 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $3,194,000 after purchasing an additional 2,484 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 15,969 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $4,632,000 after purchasing an additional 3,251 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Moment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $331,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on APD shares. 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. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 14th. BNP Paribas upgraded Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.88.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE:APD traded up $0.25 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $293.38. The stock had a trading volume of 209,113 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,495,793. The stock has a market cap of $65.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $311.24 and a 200 day simple moving average of $309.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $227.53 and a 12-month 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 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. On average, research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.44%. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total transaction of $1,419,570.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. The trade was a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the 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 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. Insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604 in the last 90 days. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.