Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Acquired by Nan Fung Trinity HK Ltd.

Key Points

• Nan Fung Trinity HK Ltd. increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. by 22.4%, now holding 37,100 shares valued at approximately $10.94 million, making it the 25th largest position in its portfolio.
• Analysts have mixed opinions on the stock, with price targets ranging widely from $282.00 to $355.00, while it currently holds an average rating of "Moderate Buy."
• Air Products and Chemicals announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, representing an annual yield of 2.42%, with a dividend payout ratio of 104.07%.

Nan Fung Trinity HK Ltd. increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 22.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,100 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 6,800 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals makes up approximately 1.7% of Nan Fung Trinity HK Ltd.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Nan Fung Trinity HK Ltd.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $10,942,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% during the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% during 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 in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth $50,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth $51,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE APD traded down $4.67 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $290.52. The company had a trading volume of 1,539,308 shares, compared to its average volume of 869,644. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.69 and a 1 year high of $341.14. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $284.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $290.75. 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 stock has a market cap of $64.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.23, a P/E/G ratio of 5.66 and a beta 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 analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.48% and a net margin of 12.76%. The business's revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.85 EPS. On average, analysts forecast 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 firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.46%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 104.07%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on APD. Mizuho lifted 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. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 target price on the stock. 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 research report on Monday, June 30th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. 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 research note on Friday, May 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $334.75.

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.