Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Acquired by Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.

Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 245,585 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 911 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals comprises approximately 1.1% of Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. owned about 0.11% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $71,229,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of APD. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 106.3% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 13,494 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,914,000 after acquiring an additional 6,952 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 59.2% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 374,442 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $111,488,000 after buying an additional 139,223 shares during the last quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,269,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 88.2% in the fourth quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,490 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,074,000 after buying an additional 4,916 shares during the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1,205.1% in the third quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 38,423 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $11,440,000 after purchasing an additional 35,479 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE APD opened at $291.82 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $227.53 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $312.54 and a 200 day moving average of $308.12.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.45%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on APD. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America cut shares of 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. Barclays raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $315.00 to $365.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $320.00 target price (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $342.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total value of $1,419,570.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. The trade was a 23.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 3,233 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.32, for a total transaction of $993,565.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,680 shares in the company, valued at $3,282,177.60. This trade represents a 23.24 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604 over the last 90 days. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.