SageView Advisory Group LLC Grows Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

SageView Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 12.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,344 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 590 shares during the period. SageView Advisory Group LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,550,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of APD. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the 4th quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 2.6 %

Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $268.88 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.61, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $298.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $307.68. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $227.53 and a one year high of $341.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 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%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share 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 paid a $1.79 dividend. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.66%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.58%.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total transaction of $1,419,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 14,273 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. This trade represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total value of $181,706.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $221,811.50. This trade represents a 45.03 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,842,604 over the last ninety days. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APD has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated 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, February 7th. BMO Capital Markets lowered Air Products and Chemicals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $338.24.

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.