Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI Increases Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI raised its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 52.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,856 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,324 shares during the quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,138,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in APD. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% during the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% in the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.6%

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $1.65 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $295.23. 2,097,647 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,367,358. The company has a market cap of $65.70 billion, a PE ratio of 42.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $281.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $290.22. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.00.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.83 by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.94 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.48% and a net margin of 12.76%. The business's quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.85 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.43%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 104.07%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on APD shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 price objective for the company. Barclays cut their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Bank of America downgraded 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 report on Tuesday, April 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $331.53.

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.