Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Bought by Maryland State Retirement & Pension System

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 17,264 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 323 shares during the quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $4,727,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dover Advisors LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.9% in the third quarter. Dover Advisors LLC now owns 1,894 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $540,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Smithfield Trust Co grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 2.4% in the third quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 1,566 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $444,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 3,636 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $996,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 2.1% in the third quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,957 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $555,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.8% in the third quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 5,263 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,492,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.7 %

NYSE APD traded up $1.67 on Monday, hitting $247.54. 936,854 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,729,548. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $212.24 and a 52-week high of $307.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.31. The company has a market capitalization of $55.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.80. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $238.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $253.49.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $2.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.70 by $0.15. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 20.32% and a return on equity of 16.56%. The firm had revenue of $2.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.05 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.74 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.31 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APD has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $270.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Barclays cut their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $245.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut Air Products and Chemicals from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, March 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $279.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $277.43.

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.