Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Sold by Soltis Investment Advisors LLC

Soltis Investment Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 20.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 21,223 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 5,411 shares during the period. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $6,155,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% in 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 period. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% in the 3rd quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Newton One Investments LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD stock opened at $310.66 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $309.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $301.60. The firm has a market cap of $69.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.04, a PEG ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $213.80 and a 1 year high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted 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%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets cut Air Products and Chemicals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Redburn Atlantic raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. StockNews.com cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $320.00 target price (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $339.94.

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.