Empower Advisory Group LLC Has $130.89 Million Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Empower Advisory Group LLC increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 2.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 443,797 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 9,814 shares during the period. Empower Advisory Group LLC owned 0.20% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $130,885,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% in the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% in the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $50,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:APD opened at $287.00 on Tuesday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.69 and a 1 year high of $341.14. The company has a market capitalization of $63.87 billion, a PE ratio of 41.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.41 and a beta of 0.81. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $285.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $290.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.10. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.86% and a return on equity of 15.11%. The company had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.20 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 103.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on APD. Bank of America lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $355.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $334.75.

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.