Geode Capital Management LLC Has $1.45 Billion Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 4,874,347 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 88,806 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.19% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $1,448,570,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wedmont Private Capital increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 27.3% during the 2nd quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 1,377 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $360,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1,572.7% in the second quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 736 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $185,000 after purchasing an additional 692 shares during the last quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 17.4% in the 2nd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 560 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $145,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 11.8% in the 2nd quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,465 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $636,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the period. Finally, Ariston Services Group lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 14.1% during the 2nd quarter. Ariston Services Group now owns 1,586 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $409,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Citigroup raised their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 8th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $331.53.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 0.9 %

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded down $2.85 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $312.36. The company's stock had a trading volume of 858,302 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,599,649. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $212.24 and a 52-week high of $337.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The company has a market cap of $69.46 billion, a PE ratio of 18.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.81. The firm's 50 day moving average is $319.07 and its 200 day moving average is $289.10.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.27%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.21%.

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.