Empire Financial Management Company LLC Invests $803,000 in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Empire Financial Management Company LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 2,770 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $803,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the 4th quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 3,233 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.32, for a total value of $993,565.56. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 10,680 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,282,177.60. This represents a 23.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the vice president now directly owns 719 shares of the company's stock, valued at $221,811.50. The trade was a 45.03 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on APD. Bank of America cut Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and cut their target price for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $370.00 to $335.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $332.18.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE APD traded up $1.92 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $271.37. The company had a trading volume of 522,757 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,457,387. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $286.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $304.88. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $228.81 and a twelve month high of $341.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

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.