Capital International Inc. CA Purchases Shares of 34,953 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Capital International Inc. CA acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 34,953 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $10,138,000.

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

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of NYSE APD traded up $4.12 during trading on Thursday, hitting $268.86. 813,572 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,485,011. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.61, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $289.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $305.94. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $228.81 and a 1 year high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the vice president now directly owns 14,273 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. The trade was a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total transaction of $616,896.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,834 shares in the company, valued at $1,173,204. This represents a 34.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. 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. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Bank of America cut 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. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $332.18.

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.