Wealthfront Advisers LLC Buys 119,370 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Wealthfront Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 837.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 133,618 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 119,370 shares during the period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC owned about 0.06% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $38,755,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 106.3% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 13,494 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $3,914,000 after buying an additional 6,952 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 59.2% during the fourth 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 bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $7,269,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 worth $3,074,000 after acquiring an additional 4,916 shares during the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1,205.1% in 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.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 4.0 %

Shares of NYSE APD opened at $303.83 on Tuesday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $311.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $307.64. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $227.53 and a 52-week high of $341.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.64, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

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Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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%. On average, analysts anticipate 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 firm 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 dividend of $1.79 per share. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.36%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 41.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 price objective (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $350.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Monday, January 27th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, UBS Group upped 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 report on Tuesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $343.53.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Wilbur Mok sold 1,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.88, for a total transaction of $410,644.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,193 shares in the company, valued at $1,008,604.84. This represents a 28.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

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.

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