Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Raises Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 85,641 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,439 shares during the period. Asset Management One Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $25,077,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of 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 valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% during the third 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. Finally, Newton One Investments LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 3,233 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.32, for a total transaction of $993,565.56. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 10,680 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,282,177.60. This trade represents a 23.24 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 14,273 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,502,560.58. This trade represents a 23.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 9,749 shares of company stock valued at $3,030,032 over the last 90 days. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE:APD traded down $0.08 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $316.04. 398,152 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,779,823. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $225.26 and a 1 year high of $341.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $308.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $303.85. The firm has a market cap of $70.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.36, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share 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%. Equities research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.77 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.27%. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is presently 41.11%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on APD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 target price (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Barclays upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price target for the company from $315.00 to $365.00 in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. BNP Paribas raised Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $339.94.

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.