Sfmg LLC Sells 286 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Sfmg LLC decreased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 27.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 764 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 286 shares during the quarter. Sfmg LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $209,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.4% during the 3rd quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD opened at $229.08 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $235.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $257.98. 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 firm has a market cap of $50.92 billion, a PE ratio of 21.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.81. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $212.24 and a 1 year high of $307.71.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.20 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.84% and a net margin of 18.82%. Air Products and Chemicals’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.64 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.09%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 67.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday. Bank of America upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $264.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of 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. Citigroup lifted 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 research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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.