Brookstone Capital Management Acquires 1,119 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Brookstone Capital Management increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 26.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,282 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,119 shares during the quarter. Brookstone Capital Management's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,558,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% in the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $44,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% in the fourth quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $51,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 0.9%

NYSE APD traded down $2.57 during trading on Monday, reaching $289.27. 979,730 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,370,588. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.69 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.37 billion, a PE ratio of 42.05, a P/E/G ratio of 5.60 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $276.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $290.28.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.83 by ($0.14). The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.76% and a return on equity of 15.48%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.85 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 104.07%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. 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 report on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group lowered their price target 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 raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $330.94.

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.