BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Buys Shares of 9,662 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 9,662 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $2,802,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $919,721,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $885,371,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $436,636,000. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1,615.5% during the fourth quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 530,005 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $153,723,000 after acquiring an additional 499,110 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at $71,307,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

NYSE APD traded down $1.41 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $267.44. The company's stock had a trading volume of 667,899 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,482,498. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $228.81 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The stock has a market cap of $59.50 billion, a PE ratio of 15.53, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. 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 company's 50-day moving average is $288.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $305.64.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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 net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. Analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 3,233 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,680 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,282,177.60. This trade represents a 23.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of Air Products and Chemicals 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 14,273 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 in the last quarter. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on APD shares. Barclays dropped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Bank of America lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $332.18.

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.