Simplicity Wealth LLC Makes New $1.09 Million Investment in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Simplicity Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 3,691 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,089,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. WR Wealth Planners LLC grew its position 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 valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the period. Financial Perspectives Inc grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 33.3% during the fourth quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc now owns 140 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on APD shares. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $290.00 price target for the company. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $331.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $282.25 on Thursday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.69 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The company has a market cap of $62.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.39, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $270.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $295.16.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly 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 return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.85 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 104.07%.

Air Products and Chemicals Company 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.