Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) is Mitchell Sinkler & Starr PA's 10th Largest Position

Mitchell Sinkler & Starr PA lessened its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 11.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,477 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 4,188 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals makes up approximately 2.5% of Mitchell Sinkler & Starr PA's holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Mitchell Sinkler & Starr PA's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $9,420,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,485,176 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $6,231,560,000 after acquiring an additional 207,404 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.9% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,874,347 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,448,570,000 after purchasing an additional 88,806 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $919,721,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at about $885,371,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,088,449 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $605,734,000 after buying an additional 30,888 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of APD stock traded up $0.52 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $293.97. 290,377 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,479,085. The stock's 50 day moving average is $310.71 and its 200-day moving average is $309.58. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $227.53 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The company has a market cap of $65.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.07, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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%. Analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share 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. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.44%. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 41.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of 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 raised their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. BNP Paribas upgraded Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Bank of America lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $350.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday, January 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $340.88.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. The trade was a 23.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the business'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 directly owns 719 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $221,811.50. This represents a 45.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is currently 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.