Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC Has $6.98 Million Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 15.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,054 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,210 shares during the quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $6,977,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of APD. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter worth $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in 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. Finally, Newton One Investments LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on APD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $320.00 price objective (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday. Bank of America cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Monday, January 27th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $339.94.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 5.3 %

NYSE:APD opened at $310.66 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $69.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.04, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $309.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $301.60. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $213.80 and a 52-week high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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, analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.77 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.30%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 41.11%.

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.