First Trust Advisors LP Sells 13,437 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

First Trust Advisors LP trimmed its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 6.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 212,393 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 13,437 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned 0.10% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $61,603,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Forum Financial Management LP boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 189.4% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 5,423 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,573,000 after purchasing an additional 3,549 shares during the period. Generation Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,206,000. Capital International Investors bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $436,636,000. Ally Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth $2,465,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $50,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 0.5 %

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded down $1.41 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $267.44. The company's stock had a trading volume of 667,899 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,484,280. The company has a market cap of $59.50 billion, a PE ratio of 15.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $228.81 and a 52-week high of $341.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The firm's 50 day moving average is $287.71 and its 200 day moving average is $305.34.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

APD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $320.00 price objective (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $332.18.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total transaction of $616,896.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,834 shares in the company, valued at $1,173,204. The trade was a 34.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 90 days. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals 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.