Czech National Bank Purchases 2,916 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Czech National Bank increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 6.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 48,203 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,916 shares during the period. Czech National Bank's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $13,981,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.5% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 41,220 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $10,637,000 after purchasing an additional 999 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 51,384 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $13,515,000 after acquiring an additional 2,912 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 13.9% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,958 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,279,000 after acquiring an additional 604 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter valued at approximately $410,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE APD traded up $6.09 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $307.83. 1,949,234 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,615,379. The company has a market cap of $68.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.84. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $212.24 and a one year high of $337.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $309.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $293.39.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.30%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 41.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $330.00 to $350.00 in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 8th. 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $332.71.

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.