Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Purchased by Rockland Trust Co.

Rockland Trust Co. lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 47,151 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,080 shares during the quarter. Rockland Trust Co.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $13,906,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. WR Wealth Planners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. Financial Perspectives Inc boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 33.3% in the fourth quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc now owns 140 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.0%

APD stock traded up $0.12 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $280.49. 889,365 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,425,941. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.69 and a 52-week high of $341.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11. The business has a 50 day moving average of $272.36 and a 200-day moving average of $293.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $62.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.29, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.86.

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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.83 by ($0.14). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. The company had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.85 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect 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 announced 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 is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.55%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 104.07%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APD has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price objective for the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on 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. Bank of America downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $332.41.

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.