F M Investments LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

F M Investments LLC lessened its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 34.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,896 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 9,463 shares during the period. F M Investments LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $5,190,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during 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 purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 3.4 %

NYSE:APD opened at $261.07 on Friday. 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 1-year low of $227.53 and a 1-year high of $341.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.16, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $299.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $307.81.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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, equities analysts expect 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.74%. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 3,233 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,680 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,282,177.60. This represents a 23.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total transaction of $474,255.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,462 shares in the company, valued at $462,240.54. This trade represents a 50.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced 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 report on Wednesday. Citigroup cut their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 14th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $338.24.

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.