Boston Financial Mangement LLC Cuts Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Boston Financial Mangement LLC decreased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 155,967 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 994 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals comprises about 1.4% of Boston Financial Mangement LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Boston Financial Mangement LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $45,237,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of APD. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its position in 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 valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD stock traded down $4.26 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $310.02. The company had a trading volume of 1,392,858 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,750,034. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $227.10 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The company has a market capitalization of $68.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.00, a PEG ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.85. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average of $308.55 and a 200-day moving average of $304.26.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (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%. On average, equities 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 company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.31%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 41.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on APD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $320.00 price objective (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America cut Air Products and Chemicals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $350.00 price target for the company. in a report on Monday, January 27th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $339.94.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total value of $474,255.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,462 shares of the company's stock, valued at $462,240.54. This represents a 50.64 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, 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 value of $993,565.56. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,680 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,282,177.60. The trade was a 23.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 14,911 shares of company stock worth $4,660,897 in the last ninety days. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.