Virtu Financial LLC Buys Shares of 7,601 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 7,601 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $2,204,000.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 106.3% in the fourth 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 raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 59.2% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 374,442 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $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 shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $7,269,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 88.2% in the 4th quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,490 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $3,074,000 after purchasing an additional 4,916 shares during the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1,205.1% during the third 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 during the period. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Remove Ads

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.0 %

APD traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $295.40. 627,761 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,408,174. The company has a market cap of $65.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $227.53 and a one year high of $341.14. The company's fifty day moving average price is $312.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $308.91. 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 earnings per share (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%. As a group, analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.42%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 41.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total transaction of $1,419,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 14,273 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,502,560.58. This trade represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total transaction of $616,896.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,834 shares in the company, valued at $1,173,204. This trade represents a 34.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

APD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. 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 research report on Monday, January 27th. StockNews.com lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. 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 report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup cut their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 14th. 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $341.47.

Air Products and Chemicals Company 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.