Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Acquired by Ameriprise Financial Inc.

Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 0.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 411,007 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 2,792 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. owned about 0.18% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $119,214,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $919,721,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $885,371,000. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth $436,636,000. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 worth $153,723,000 after buying an additional 499,110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Senator Investment Group LP acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $133,551,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on APD shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 price target (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $330.38.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:APD traded up $1.41 during trading on Friday, reaching $271.05. The company had a trading volume of 913,095 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,483,321. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.69 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $279.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $301.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.88.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.83 by ($0.14). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.85 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total value of $181,706.50. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 719 shares in the company, valued at $221,811.50. The trade was a 45.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Victoria Brifo sold 2,362 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.82, for a total value of $745,966.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 10,045 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,172,411.90. The trade was a 19.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 11,000 shares of company stock valued at $3,423,034. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.