Pacer Advisors Inc. Has $6.95 Million Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 44.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 23,957 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,353 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $6,948,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. United Asset Strategies Inc. boosted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. now owns 17,828 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,171,000 after buying an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 34,914 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $10,127,000 after acquiring an additional 1,436 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,062 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,209,000 after acquiring an additional 551 shares during the last quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 11.5% during the 4th quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 773 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $224,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stablepoint Partners LLC raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Stablepoint Partners LLC now owns 5,277 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,531,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE:APD opened at $327.45 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $72.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.06, a PEG ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $310.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $298.00. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $212.24 and a 1 year high of $337.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.19%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.68%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on APD shares. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $295.00 to $364.00 in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $330.00 to $350.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $338.47.

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.