Fidelis Capital Partners LLC Boosts Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Fidelis Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 42.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,790 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 833 shares during the quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $764,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 6.9% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,180 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,010,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 22.3% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 5,890 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,472,000 after purchasing an additional 1,075 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 105,875 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $26,459,000 after purchasing an additional 4,470 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 17.1% during the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 755 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $188,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of APD traded up $1.97 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $234.99. The stock had a trading volume of 180,861 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,725,495. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.81 and a quick ratio of 1.58. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $212.24 and a 52-week high of $307.71. The business’s fifty day moving average is $235.64 and its 200 day moving average is $257.80. The firm has a market cap of $52.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.81.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 18.82% and a return on equity of 16.84%. The firm had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.64 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st will be issued a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.01%. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 67.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Bank of America raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $264.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Argus cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $279.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $276.36.

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.