West Paces Advisors Inc. Sells 299 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

West Paces Advisors Inc. lessened its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 7.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,515 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 299 shares during the period. West Paces Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $962,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Legacy Bridge LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.4% in the third quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 1.5 %

APD stock traded down $3.40 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $227.76. 2,590,007 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,756,216. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.81. The business has a 50 day moving average of $234.91 and a 200-day moving average of $258.57. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $212.24 and a 52-week high of $307.71.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.00 by ($0.18). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.84% and a net margin of 18.82%. The firm had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.64 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 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 13th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st will be paid a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.11%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is 67.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on APD shares. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $240.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $279.00 price target for the company. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $245.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, UBS Group lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $328.00 to $241.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $276.36.

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.