Rathbones Group PLC Decreases Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Rathbones Group PLC trimmed its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 15.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 57,575 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 10,298 shares during the quarter. Rathbones Group PLC's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $16,699,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $919,721,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth $885,371,000. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1,615.5% during the fourth quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 530,005 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $153,723,000 after purchasing an additional 499,110 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $71,307,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.0% during 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 buying an additional 207,404 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE APD traded up $6.84 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $268.88. 1,002,627 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,494,714. The company has a market cap of $59.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.61, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $298.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $307.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $227.53 and a one year high of $341.14.

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Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS 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. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.66%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. 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%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total transaction of $474,255.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,462 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $462,240.54. This represents a 50.64 % 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, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total value of $616,896.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,834 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,173,204. The trade was a 34.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on APD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $320.00 price objective (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Bank of America cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $350.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Monday, January 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $338.24.

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.