Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Buys 39,428 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 3.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,288,570 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 39,428 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned about 0.58% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $373,737,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in APD. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,742 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $505,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,028 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $588,000 after buying an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the 4th quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the period. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,074 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $888,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the period. Finally, SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 974 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $282,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup upped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $343.53.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Wilbur Mok sold 1,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.88, for a total transaction of $410,644.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,193 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,008,604.84. This represents a 28.93 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,834 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,173,204. The trade was a 34.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 14,911 shares of company stock valued at $4,660,897. 0.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD opened at $311.70 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $310.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $306.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.34 billion, a PE ratio of 18.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $227.53 and a 52 week high of $341.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11.

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 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%. As a group, 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.30%. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

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.

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