Childress Capital Advisors LLC Boosts Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Childress Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 23.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 869 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 164 shares during the quarter. Childress Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $256,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. WR Wealth Planners LLC grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the 4th 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 period. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% during the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of APD stock opened at $270.98 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $272.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $291.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.39, a PEG ratio of 5.19 and a beta of 0.86. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.69 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14.

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 for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83 by ($0.14). The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.94 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.76% and a return on equity of 15.48%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.85 EPS. Research 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 given a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.64%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 104.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Bank of America cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $332.41.

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.