Syntax Research Inc. Has $2.36 Million Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Syntax Research Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 20.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,122 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 2,100 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals comprises about 1.7% of Syntax Research Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Syntax Research Inc.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $2,356,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 106.3% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 13,494 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $3,914,000 after buying an additional 6,952 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 59.2% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 374,442 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $111,488,000 after purchasing an additional 139,223 shares during the last quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at about $7,269,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 88.2% during the 4th quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,490 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $3,074,000 after buying an additional 4,916 shares during the period. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1,205.1% during the 3rd quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 38,423 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $11,440,000 after buying an additional 35,479 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the business'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 completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,462 shares in the company, valued at approximately $462,240.54. The trade was a 50.64 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were 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 owns 3,834 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,173,204. This trade represents a 34.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on APD shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective 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. Sanford C. Bernstein raised 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. StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, BNP Paribas raised Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $341.47.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 0.9 %

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded down $2.79 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $292.34. The stock had a trading volume of 604,690 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,485,700. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $311.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $308.95. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $227.53 and a 12 month high of $341.14. The stock has a market cap of $65.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.98, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. 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 (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (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%. Research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.79 per share. 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. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.45%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is 41.58%.

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.