Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Purchased by Park Avenue Securities LLC

Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 29.0% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 12,027 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,704 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $3,488,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in APD. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% in the third quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 58.8% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 135 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at $47,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APD has been the topic of several research reports. Evercore ISI raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $305.00 to $365.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 8th. UBS Group raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Barclays lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $332.71.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $312.01 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $309.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $293.48. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $212.24 and a 12-month high of $337.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $69.39 billion, a PE ratio of 18.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.84.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.27%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.21%.

Air Products and Chemicals 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.