Webster Bank N. A. Sells 240 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Webster Bank N. A. decreased its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 21.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 897 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 240 shares during the period. Webster Bank N. A.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $265,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quent Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 5.8% in the first quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,016 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $300,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Sage Capital Advisors llc boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.5% during the first quarter. Sage Capital Advisors llc now owns 14,806 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,367,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 2.7% during the first quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 3,233 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $953,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 51.0% during the first quarter. Legacy Private Trust Co. now owns 3,110 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $917,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Hawaiian Bank boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 16.8% during the first quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 9,758 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,878,000 after buying an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on APD shares. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Barclays reduced 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated 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. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded Air Products and Chemicals to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $331.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total transaction of $181,706.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $221,811.50. The trade was a 45.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $278.99 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $271.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $297.55. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.69 and a 52-week high of $341.14. The firm has a market cap of $62.09 billion, a PE ratio of 16.20, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.88. 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 earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83 by ($0.14). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.85 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 104.07%.

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.