Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. Acquires 3,295 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 29.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,562 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,295 shares during the quarter. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $3,987,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.4% during the third quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of APD stock traded down $1.38 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $231.64. 1,797,253 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,214,487. The stock has a market cap of $51.49 billion, a PE ratio of 22.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.81. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $235.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $257.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $307.71.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.00 by ($0.18). The company had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.84% and a net margin of 18.82%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.64 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.77 per share. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals's previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.06%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on APD. UBS Group lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $328.00 to $241.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $245.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They set an "outperform" rating and a $279.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $240.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $304.00 to $295.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $276.36.

Air Products and Chemicals Company 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.