Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Acquired by Great Valley Advisor Group Inc.

Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 121.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 34,347 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 18,842 shares during the period. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $9,961,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of 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 valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group decreased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 target price (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $331.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of APD traded up $1.44 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $273.20. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,291,731 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,444,669. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.69 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The stock has a market cap of $60.80 billion, a PE ratio of 15.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The company's 50 day moving average is $272.65 and its 200 day moving average is $298.05.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released 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). The business had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.94 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. The company's revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.85 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.62%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 104.07%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $221,811.50. This trade represents a 45.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.