IFM Investors Pty Ltd Purchases 5,684 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

IFM Investors Pty Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 18.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,247 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,684 shares during the quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $11,090,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% during the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $50,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $3.30 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $292.32. The stock had a trading volume of 968,319 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,369,735. The company has a 50-day moving average of $277.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $290.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The company has a market cap of $65.05 billion, a PE ratio of 42.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.55 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.69 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued 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 return on equity of 15.48% and a net margin of 12.76%. The company had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.85 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research 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 business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.45%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is presently 104.07%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

APD has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley initiated 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 target for the company. 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 price objective for the company. UBS Group cut their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Bank of America cut Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on 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. Two 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.com, Air Products and Chemicals currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $330.94.

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.