PCG Asset Management LLC Makes New $277,000 Investment in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

PCG Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 955 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $277,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in APD. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the 4th quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on APD shares. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. BNP Paribas upgraded Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Bank of America cut Air Products and Chemicals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $350.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $343.53.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total value of $1,419,570.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 3,233 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.32, for a total value of $993,565.56. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,680 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,282,177.60. The trade was a 23.24 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 14,911 shares of company stock valued at $4,660,897. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD stock traded up $6.35 on Wednesday, reaching $311.70. 2,285,682 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,671,216. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $227.53 and a twelve month high of $341.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $310.52 and a 200-day moving average of $306.62. The firm has a market cap of $69.34 billion, a PE ratio of 18.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.58%.

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.