Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Sold by Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV

Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lessened its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 79.8% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,228 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 4,856 shares during the quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $317,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sachetta LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Security National Bank acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Thompson Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2,250.0% during the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 141 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $1.75 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $278.85. 913,854 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,660,860. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $267.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $253.82. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $212.24 and a 52 week high of $307.71. The firm has a market cap of $61.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.17, a PEG ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.31.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.04 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $2.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.04 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 21.24% and a return on equity of 16.53%. Research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be given a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.54%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 63.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $310.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $240.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $240.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $297.40.

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.