Stephens Inc. AR Sells 1,443 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Stephens Inc. AR lowered its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 4.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 33,378 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 1,443 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $9,844,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parvin Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $715,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 20.9% during the 1st quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 1,603 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $473,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. Mantle Ridge LP acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,191,344,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $246,000. Finally, Allstate Corp acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,917,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on APD. Citigroup lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 30th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $290.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $332.12.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.7%

Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $292.13 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.00. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.69 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The stock has a market cap of $65.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.46, a PEG ratio of 5.60 and a beta of 0.85. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $278.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $290.19.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 15.48% and a net margin of 12.76%. The business had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.85 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.45%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 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.