Argus Investors Counsel Inc. Sells 475 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Argus Investors Counsel Inc. lowered its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APDFree Report) by 14.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,900 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 475 shares during the quarter. Argus Investors Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $841,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% during the third quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Newton One Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.7 %

NYSE APD opened at $333.45 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $341.14. The company has a market capitalization of $74.15 billion, a PE ratio of 19.41, a P/E/G ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.85. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $310.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $300.66.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APDGet Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.64% and a return on equity of 16.34%. Research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.76 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on APD. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $350.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Barclays raised Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $315.00 to $365.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.50.

View Our Latest Report on Air Products and Chemicals

Air Products and Chemicals Profile

(Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD)

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