Regents Gate Capital LLP Grows Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Regents Gate Capital LLP increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 142.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 21,559 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 12,674 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals accounts for approximately 2.7% of Regents Gate Capital LLP's portfolio, 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 SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% during the first 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 last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% during the fourth 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 last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on APD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada started 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 objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Bank of America cut Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and decreased their price target for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $332.12.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD stock traded up $1.79 during trading on Thursday, hitting $296.03. The company had a trading volume of 347,198 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,362,950. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.61 and a beta of 0.85. The stock's 50-day moving average is $278.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $290.28. 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, Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.69 and a 52 week high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.83 by ($0.14). The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.94 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.48% and a net margin of 12.76%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.85 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

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 paid a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.42%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is currently 104.07%.

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.