KBC Group NV Buys 1,436 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 4.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 34,914 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,436 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $10,127,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of APD. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 15.7% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,062 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,209,000 after buying an additional 551 shares during the last quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 773 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $224,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Stablepoint Partners LLC increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Stablepoint Partners LLC now owns 5,277 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,531,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. Archford Capital Strategies LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 6,835 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,982,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Precedent Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,032 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $879,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:APD opened at $327.45 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $212.24 and a twelve month high of $337.00. The company has a market cap of $72.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.84. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $310.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $298.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.19%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on APD. Bank of America lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $330.00 to $350.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Mizuho raised their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $308.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Barclays raised Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $315.00 to $365.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $338.47.

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.