Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH Has $1.68 Million Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH cut its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 40.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,789 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 3,931 shares during the quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,679,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Mantle Ridge LP bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $1,191,344,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $919,721,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 129.4% during the fourth 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. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $885,371,000. Finally, Capital International Investors bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $436,636,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Thursday. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 price target for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $331.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total value of $181,706.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 719 shares in the company, valued at $221,811.50. This represents a 45.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 2.1%

NYSE:APD traded up $5.82 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $278.99. The stock had a trading volume of 2,872,928 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,448,278. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $243.69 and a one year 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 company has a market cap of $62.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.20, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.88. The business's 50 day moving average is $271.94 and its 200-day moving average is $297.31.

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 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.85 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 104.07%.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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.