Evergreen Capital Management LLC Buys 849 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Evergreen Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 5.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 15,876 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 849 shares during the quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $4,605,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Chelsea Counsel Co. boosted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Chelsea Counsel Co. now owns 3,377 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,005,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Tudor Financial Inc. bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter valued at about $1,654,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 35.5% in the third quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 2,930 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $872,000 after purchasing an additional 768 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1,205.1% during the 3rd quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 38,423 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $11,440,000 after purchasing an additional 35,479 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 286.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 21,299 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,342,000 after purchasing an additional 15,791 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD opened at $261.47 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $58.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.18, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $227.76 and a twelve month 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. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $294.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $306.88.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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%. On average, analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.74%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays lowered 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 report on Tuesday, April 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $320.00 target price (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered Air Products and Chemicals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $332.18.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the firm’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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total transaction of $1,419,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at $4,502,560.58. The trade was a 23.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.