Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC Takes $2.13 Million Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 7,204 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $2,125,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Mantle Ridge LP acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,191,344,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $919,721,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position 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 valued at $1,574,670,000 after purchasing an additional 3,062,157 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $436,636,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 31,752.0% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,249,871 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $368,612,000 after purchasing an additional 1,245,947 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE APD traded down $1.98 on Friday, reaching $292.13. The company had a trading volume of 1,042,263 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,361,929. The firm has a market cap of $65.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.46, a P/E/G ratio of 5.60 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.69 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The business has a 50 day moving average of $278.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $290.22. 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 results 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). The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.76% and a return on equity of 15.48%. The business's revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.85 EPS. Analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.45%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 104.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. 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. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price target for the company. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given 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, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.