Electron Capital Partners LLC Invests $25.72 Million in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Electron Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 88,688 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $25,723,000. Air Products and Chemicals accounts for approximately 1.3% of Electron Capital Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Lido Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 9.0% during the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 13,604 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $3,946,000 after acquiring an additional 1,119 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,583,156 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,039,259,000 after acquiring an additional 156,419 shares during the last quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $99,000. Quarry LP grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 197.0% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 300 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $87,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $8,793,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total transaction of $181,706.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 719 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $221,811.50. The trade was a 45.03 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the vice president now directly owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. The trade was a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 price target (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, February 7th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets lowered Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Bank of America cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $330.38.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $5.38 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $277.54. The company had a trading volume of 1,446,932 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,482,871. The company's fifty day moving average is $284.40 and its 200-day moving average is $304.09. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.69 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The company has a market capitalization of $61.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.12, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. 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 announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.85 EPS. Air Products and Chemicals's revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS 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.