Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Increases Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 717,110 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 8,908 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned about 0.32% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $207,991,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased 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 valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was 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 approximately $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total value of $474,255.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,462 shares in the company, valued at approximately $462,240.54. This trade represents a 50.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on APD. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com cut Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America lowered 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 note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 14th. One research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $338.24.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 2.6 %

NYSE APD traded up $6.84 during trading on Friday, reaching $268.88. 1,002,627 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,494,815. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $298.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $307.63. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $227.53 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The firm has a market cap of $59.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.96.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business 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 dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.66%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.58%.

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.