Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Sold by Colonial Trust Advisors

Colonial Trust Advisors trimmed its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 5.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 56,067 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,012 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals accounts for approximately 1.4% of Colonial Trust Advisors’ holdings, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Colonial Trust Advisors’ holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $16,262,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the 4th quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Wilbur Mok sold 1,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.88, for a total transaction of $410,644.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,193 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,008,604.84. This represents a 28.93 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total transaction of $1,419,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. This trade represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 over the last ninety days. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group decreased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 14th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $338.24.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 8.6 %

NYSE APD opened at $270.08 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $227.53 and a 52 week high of $341.14. The firm has a market cap of $60.09 billion, a PE ratio of 15.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $300.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $308.05.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.58%.

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.