DF Dent & Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 1,445 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $419,000.
A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals
In other news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total value of $181,706.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 719 shares in the company, valued at approximately $221,811.50. This trade represents a 45.03 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.
Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:APD traded down $1.57 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $247.04. The company's stock had a trading volume of 725,625 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,487,452. The company has a market cap of $54.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $227.53 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $303.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $308.47. 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 released its 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 return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. On average, analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.
Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.90%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.58%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
APD has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $320.00 price target (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 14th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Bank of America lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $350.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Monday, January 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.88.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on APD
Air Products and Chemicals Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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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