Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Grows Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 6.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 91,526 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,885 shares during the period. Asset Management One Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $26,993,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. WR Wealth Planners LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% during the fourth quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $1.10 on Thursday, hitting $283.10. 1,462,806 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,408,727. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $273.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $291.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.69 and a 52 week high of $341.14. The company has a market cap of $63.00 billion, a PE ratio of 41.15, a PEG ratio of 5.39 and a beta of 0.86.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.83 by ($0.14). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.76% and a return on equity of 15.48%. The company had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.85 EPS. The business's revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

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 paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 104.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on APD shares. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, June 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price target for the company. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $332.41.

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.