Fmr LLC Acquires 98,346 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 4.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 2,315,245 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 98,346 shares during the period. FMR LLC owned 1.04% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $671,514,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE APD traded up $4.06 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $273.07. 163,172 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,489,457. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $227.53 and a one year high of $341.14. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $298.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $307.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company has a market cap of $60.75 billion, a PE ratio of 15.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89.

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Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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, equities analysts predict 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.79 per share. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on APD. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. BNP Paribas upgraded Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $338.24.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were 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 $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total transaction of $181,706.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 719 shares in the company, valued at $221,811.50. The trade was a 45.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604 over the last ninety days. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.