3,139 Shares in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Acquired by Saxon Interests Inc.

Saxon Interests Inc. purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 3,139 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $859,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.4% in the 3rd quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $0.93 on Friday, reaching $242.27. The stock had a trading volume of 1,439,940 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,653,677. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $212.24 and a 1 year high of $307.71. The company has a market cap of $53.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The business’s 50 day moving average is $239.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $264.01.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.00 by ($0.18). The company had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.84% and a net margin of 18.82%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.64 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st will be given a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.92%. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is 66.79%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on APD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $279.00 target price for the company. Argus cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 26th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $305.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, TheStreet cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $280.29.

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.