Natixis Advisors LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 7.5% during the first quarter, owning approximately 180,495 shares valued at $53.2 million.
• Recent reports from brokerages indicate a range of price target changes for Air Products and Chemicals, with Barclays reducing its target from $355.00 to $325.00 while Mizuho and Citigroup raised their targets to $325.00 and $320.00, respectively.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, with a yield of 2.5%, indicating a consistent commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Natixis Advisors LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 7.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 180,495 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 12,650 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC owned 0.08% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $53,232,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in APD. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,260 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $945,000 after acquiring an additional 412 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 36.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 8,775 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,545,000 after acquiring an additional 2,352 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 243,505 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $70,626,000 after acquiring an additional 2,239 shares in the last quarter. Summit Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 3,141 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $911,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $722,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $5.25 during trading on Monday, reaching $287.00. The company's stock had a trading volume of 849,324 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,337,493. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. 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 market capitalization of $63.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.41 and a beta of 0.81. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $285.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $290.21.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $3.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 12.86%. Air Products and Chemicals's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.20 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS 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. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is presently 103.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on APD. Citigroup lifted their price target 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. UBS Group lifted their price target on 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. Bank of America lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Barclays cut their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $334.75.

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.