Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Acquired by Csenge Advisory Group

Csenge Advisory Group raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 197.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,599 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,726 shares during the period. Csenge Advisory Group's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $766,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Parvin Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $715,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 20.9% in the 1st quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 1,603 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $473,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares during the period. Mantle Ridge LP bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,191,344,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $246,000. Finally, Allstate Corp acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,917,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD stock traded down $1.75 on Thursday, hitting $296.14. 231,637 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,353,504. The firm has a market cap of $65.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.04, a PEG ratio of 5.72 and a beta 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 firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $282.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $290.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.85 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.42%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 104.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on APD shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. Bank of America cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. 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 target price for the company. Barclays lowered their target price on 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. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $334.75.

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.