Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Sell

StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Sunday.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $305.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Argus cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $304.00 to $295.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $250.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $276.36.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $229.08 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.81 and a quick ratio of 1.58. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $235.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $257.98. Air Products and Chemicals has a 1 year low of $212.24 and a 1 year high of $307.71. The company has a market capitalization of $50.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.81.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by ($0.18). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.84% and a net margin of 18.82%. The company had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.64 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals will post 12.38 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be given a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 67.56%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Garner Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Sachetta LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Security National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

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.