Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Short Interest Up 5.6% in November

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 3,380,000 shares, an increase of 5.6% from the November 15th total of 3,200,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,490,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.3 days. Currently, 1.5% of the company's stock are sold short.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD stock traded down $5.55 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $306.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 984,847 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,590,823. The firm's 50-day moving average is $320.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $290.13. The company has a market cap of $68.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.18, a PEG ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.81. Air Products and Chemicals has a 1-year low of $212.24 and a 1-year high of $337.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.52.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is 41.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Air Products and Chemicals

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% during the 3rd quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1,700.0% during the 2nd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 144 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter valued at about $42,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Evercore ISI upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their target price for the company from $305.00 to $365.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Vertical Research upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $336.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, October 7th. Redburn Atlantic raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $330.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, September 23rd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $331.53.

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.