Chesapeake Capital Corp IL Sells 1,024 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Chesapeake Capital Corp IL cut its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 24.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,115 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 1,024 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals accounts for 0.9% of Chesapeake Capital Corp IL's portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Chesapeake Capital Corp IL's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $903,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC boosted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the 4th quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE APD traded down $1.58 during trading on Friday, hitting $291.35. The company had a trading volume of 2,875,078 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,415,639. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $227.53 and a 12 month high of $341.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.92, 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 $313.19 and a 200 day simple moving average of $308.45.

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Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.46%. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.58%.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total value 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 3,233 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.32, for a total transaction of $993,565.56. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,680 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,282,177.60. This trade represents a 23.24 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on APD. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on 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 research report on Monday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $320.00 price target (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $342.65.

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.