Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Buys 14,077 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,249,142 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 14,077 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 0.56% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $371,920,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% in the 3rd quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter worth about $42,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1,700.0% during the 2nd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 144 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $47,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD stock traded up $2.95 on Friday, reaching $331.83. The stock had a trading volume of 2,200,243 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,572,273. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $332.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.31, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.81. The firm's 50-day moving average is $310.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $282.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.13%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 41.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Barclays raised their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Vertical Research raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $336.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $331.53.

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.