Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd Acquires New Shares in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,770 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $513,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $919,721,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $885,371,000. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1,615.5% in the 4th quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 530,005 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $153,723,000 after purchasing an additional 499,110 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $71,307,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,485,176 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $6,231,560,000 after purchasing an additional 207,404 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on APD. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. BNP Paribas upgraded Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $320.00 target price (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $350.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, January 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $338.24.

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Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD stock traded up $4.57 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $273.58. The stock had a trading volume of 119,907 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,489,340. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $227.53 and a one year high of $341.14. The firm has a market cap of $60.86 billion, a PE ratio of 15.89, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $298.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $307.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

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 EPS 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 company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.62%. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.58%.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was 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 approximately $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total value of $181,706.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now 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 sold a total of 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 over the last 90 days. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.