Gould Capital LLC Lowers Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Gould Capital LLC reduced its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,092 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 117 shares during the quarter. Gould Capital LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,187,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, 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 acquiring an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $221,811.50. This trade represents a 45.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays reduced 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. Bank of America cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Citigroup reduced 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 report on Tuesday, March 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $320.00 price target (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $330.38.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE:APD opened at $270.03 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $60.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.88. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $273.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $298.80. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.69 and a twelve month high of $341.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.83 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.94 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. The business’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.85 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.65%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 104.07%.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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.