Regents Gate Capital LLP lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 142.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 21,559 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,674 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals comprises about 2.7% of Regents Gate Capital LLP's holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Regents Gate Capital LLP's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $6,358,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at about $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 in the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research analysts have weighed in on APD shares. Citigroup boosted 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. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Barclays lowered their price objective 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. Bank of America downgraded 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 research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $330.94.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Air Products and Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance
NYSE APD opened at $292.32 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $277.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $290.26. The firm has a market cap of $65.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.49, a PEG ratio of 5.55 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.69 and a 12-month high of $341.14.
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 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 company had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.85 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.
Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is 104.07%.
About Air Products and Chemicals
(
Free Report)
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.
See Also
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding APD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report).

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