Commerce Bank Sells 2,357 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Commerce Bank cut its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 5.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 42,338 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 2,357 shares during the quarter. Commerce Bank's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $12,280,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $436,636,000. Ally Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $2,465,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $50,000. Farringdon Capital Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $750,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $6,858,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 1.5 %

NYSE APD traded up $4.03 on Thursday, reaching $268.77. The company had a trading volume of 287,951 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,479,985. 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's fifty day moving average is $289.66 and its 200 day moving average is $305.94. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $228.81 and a 52-week high of $341.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.61, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released 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%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on APD shares. UBS Group decreased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $370.00 to $335.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 price objective (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, February 7th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays cut their price objective on 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. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $332.18.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 3,233 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.32, for a total transaction of $993,565.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,680 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,282,177.60. This represents a 23.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total value of $1,419,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Company 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.