Cerity Partners LLC Has $49.88 Million Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Cerity Partners LLC grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 19.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 169,140 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 27,764 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC owned 0.08% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $49,883,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% in the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% in the 4th 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 during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.7%

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded down $1.98 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $292.13. 1,042,263 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,360,700. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $278.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $290.26. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.69 and a 52 week high of $341.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.01 billion, a PE ratio of 42.46, a P/E/G ratio of 5.64 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 15.48% and a net margin of 12.76%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.85 EPS. The firm's revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Shareholders 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 yield of 2.45%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is currently 104.07%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley assumed 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. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced 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. Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $332.12.

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.