Central Bank & Trust Co. Has $259,000 Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Central Bank & Trust Co. lessened its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 65.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 879 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 1,667 shares during the quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $259,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of APD. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,742 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $505,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,028 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $588,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC grew its stake in 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 buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 974 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $282,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. Finally, Baker Avenue Asset Management LP lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Baker Avenue Asset Management LP now owns 1,540 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $447,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on APD. Barclays lowered 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. UBS Group lowered their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Citigroup dropped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $331.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD stock traded up $0.96 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $283.17. The company had a trading volume of 678,356 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,432,732. 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 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11. The firm's fifty day moving average is $270.55 and its 200 day moving average is $295.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $63.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.44, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.86.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.83 by ($0.14). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. The company had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.85 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 104.07%.

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.