Vest Financial LLC Sells 12,713 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Vest Financial LLC cut its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 7.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 163,496 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 12,713 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $48,218,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. WR Wealth Planners LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. Hager Investment Management Services LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Financial Perspectives Inc boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 33.3% during the fourth quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc now owns 140 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "neutral" rating and set a $320.00 price target (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed 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 price objective for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $331.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE:APD opened at $276.38 on Friday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.69 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.51 billion, a PE ratio of 16.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.88. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $270.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $296.48.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. The business had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.85 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 104.07%.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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.

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