Jump Financial LLC Takes Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 19,032 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,520,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,485,176 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,231,560,000 after purchasing an additional 207,404 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,931,661 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,430,354,000 after buying an additional 57,314 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $919,721,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $885,371,000. Finally, FMR LLC increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,315,245 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $671,514,000 after acquiring an additional 98,346 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

NYSE:APD opened at $261.47 on Thursday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $227.76 and a 52 week high of $341.14. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $294.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $306.88. The company has a market capitalization of $58.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.18, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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%. Equities analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid 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 dividend yield of 2.74%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently 41.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total value of $474,255.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 1,462 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $462,240.54. This trade represents a 50.64 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total value of $1,419,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 14,273 shares in the company, valued at $4,502,560.58. This represents a 23.97 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $320.00 price target (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $370.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $332.18.

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.