APG Asset Management N.V. Purchases Shares of 121,000 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

APG Asset Management N.V. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 121,000 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $33,892,000. APG Asset Management N.V. owned 0.05% of Air Products and Chemicals as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of APD. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,742 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $505,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,028 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $588,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the period. WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,074 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $888,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the period. Finally, SRS Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 974 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $282,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.9 %

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $2.51 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $271.52. The stock had a trading volume of 211,512 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,491,557. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $227.53 and a 1-year 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's fifty day simple moving average is $298.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $307.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89.

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 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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%. As a group, analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.64%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 14th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. One 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 currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $338.24.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 3,233 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.32, for a total value of $993,565.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 10,680 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,282,177.60. This represents a 23.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total transaction of $181,706.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 719 shares in the company, valued at approximately $221,811.50. The trade was a 45.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

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.