Signaturefd LLC Has $879,000 Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Signaturefd LLC reduced its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 2.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,209 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 91 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $879,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.4% in the 3rd quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter worth about $39,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on APD shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $240.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Air Products and Chemicals from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $305.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Argus downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $276.36.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $234.37 on Tuesday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $212.24 and a 1 year high of $307.71. The company has a market capitalization of $52.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.81. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $236.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $256.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.81 and a quick ratio of 1.58.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by ($0.18). The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 18.82% and a return on equity of 16.84%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.64 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be issued a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.02%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 67.56%.

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.