Air Liquide (OTCMKTS:AIQUY) Stock Breaks Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Air Liquide shares rose above their 200-day moving average, reaching $40.4130 and last trading at $40.37, compared with the 200-day average of $39.83.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: Citigroup maintained a Buy rating, Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to Overweight, Mizuho raised it to Strong Buy, and Zacks upgraded it to Hold. MarketBeat reports a consensus Buy rating.
• Institutional ownership remains limited at 0.03%, although several investment firms recently increased their positions or initiated new holdings in the company.

Air Liquide (OTCMKTS:AIQUY - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $39.83 and traded as high as $40.4130. Air Liquide shares last traded at $40.37, with a volume of 109,277 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on AIQUY shares. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Air Liquide in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research raised Air Liquide from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Morgan Stanley raised Air Liquide from an "underweight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Mizuho raised Air Liquide to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Air Liquide Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.69 and a 200-day simple moving average of $39.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.68.

Institutional Trading of Air Liquide

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Air Liquide by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 13,518 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $525,000 after buying an additional 593 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Air Liquide by 22.8% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 13,484 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $519,000 after purchasing an additional 2,507 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Madison Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Air Liquide in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,402,000. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Liquide Company Profile

Air Liquide is a global supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, along with related technologies and services. The company produces and distributes gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, argon, carbon dioxide and helium for use in industries including manufacturing, chemicals, energy, electronics, food and beverages, and scientific research. Its offerings also include gas-management systems, equipment and process solutions designed to support customers' production and safety requirements.

Through its healthcare activities, Air Liquide supplies medical gases, respiratory-care products and services to hospitals, healthcare professionals and patients receiving care at home.

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