Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Position Boosted by TrueMark Investments LLC

TrueMark Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 9.2% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 14,395 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,210 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals makes up approximately 1.3% of TrueMark Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. TrueMark Investments LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $4,175,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total transaction of $474,255.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 1,462 shares in the company, valued at approximately $462,240.54. This represents a 50.64 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total value of $616,896.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,834 shares in the company, valued at $1,173,204. The trade was a 34.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604 over the last three months. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD stock opened at $293.57 on Wednesday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $227.53 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $312.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $309.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market cap of $65.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.05, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. Analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.44%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group dropped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 14th. StockNews.com downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $315.00 to $365.00 in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $341.47.

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.