Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Bought by Cetera Investment Advisers

Cetera Investment Advisers raised its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 104,734 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,553 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers’ holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $30,377,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD opened at $264.47 on Thursday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.69 and a 1 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. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $280.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $302.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.84 billion, a PE ratio of 15.36, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.88.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.83 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.94 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.85 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total transaction of $181,706.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 719 shares in the company, valued at approximately $221,811.50. This trade represents a 45.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 in the last three months. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APD has been the subject of several research reports. Citigroup cut their price target 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. Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. 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 research report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays lowered their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $330.38.

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.