Private Advisor Group LLC Has $11.09 Million Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Private Advisor Group LLC increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 16.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 37,610 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,365 shares during the quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $11,092,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in APD. Mantle Ridge LP acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,191,344,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $919,721,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 129.4% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,429,147 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,574,670,000 after purchasing an additional 3,062,157 shares during the period. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $436,636,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 31,752.0% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,249,871 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $368,612,000 after purchasing an additional 1,245,947 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of APD traded up $1.65 during mid-day 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 firm has a fifty day moving average of $281.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $290.22. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.69 and a twelve month high of $341.14. The stock has a market cap of $65.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its 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). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.76% and a return on equity of 15.48%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.85 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 30th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 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 given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.