Elser Financial Planning Inc Lowers Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Elser Financial Planning Inc decreased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 6.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,412 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 179 shares during the period. Elser Financial Planning Inc’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $700,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% in the fourth 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 purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% in the third quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Newton One Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on APD shares. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Bank of America cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $339.94.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD opened at $310.66 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $309.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $301.60. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $213.80 and a 52 week high of $341.14. The stock has a market cap of $69.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.04, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.77 earnings per share 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 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently 41.11%.

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.