Aquatic Capital Management LLC Makes New Investment in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 30,315 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $8,793,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

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 value 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 approximately $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total transaction of $181,706.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 over the last quarter. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on APD. Barclays dropped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $320.00 price target (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com cut Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Bank of America cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $331.06.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD traded up $6.78 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $278.94. 734,748 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,481,461. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11. The business's 50-day moving average price is $284.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $304.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $62.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $235.14 and a 12 month high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. The business had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.85 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

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.