Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Sold by Ensign Peak Advisors Inc

Ensign Peak Advisors Inc trimmed its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 61.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 277,803 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 441,542 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc owned approximately 0.12% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $80,574,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of APD. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% in the 4th 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 period. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 worth $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD traded up $2.67 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $274.15. The company had a trading volume of 432,004 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,470,465. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $276.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $300.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.69 and a 52-week high of $341.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $61.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.91, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.88.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.85 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 2,362 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.82, for a total transaction of $745,966.84. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 10,045 shares in the company, valued at $3,172,411.90. This trade represents a 19.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Wilbur Mok sold 1,300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.88, for a total value of $410,644.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,193 shares in the company, valued at $1,008,604.84. This trade represents a 28.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 5,751 shares of company stock worth $1,812,572. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on APD shares. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays lowered their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Bank of America downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $330.38.

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.