Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Stake Lessened by Modera Wealth Management LLC

Modera Wealth Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 13.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,547 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 2,181 shares during the quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $4,219,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 2,294 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $628,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,605 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $776,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares during the last quarter. Argonautica Private Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.5% during the third quarter. Argonautica Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 9,695 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,886,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1,685.4% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 764,489 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $249,698,000 after acquiring an additional 721,671 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TrueWealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter worth $208,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE:APD traded up $6.35 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $311.70. The stock had a trading volume of 2,285,916 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,671,229. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.10, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $227.53 and a twelve month high of $341.14. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $310.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $306.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 EPS 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, analysts expect 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. 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 2.30%. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 41.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were 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. The trade was a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 14,911 shares of company stock worth $4,660,897. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APD has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Citigroup increased 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 Air Products and Chemicals from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $315.00 to $365.00 in a report on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 target price (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. One equities 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $343.53.

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.