Clark & Stuart Inc Takes $4.15 Million Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Clark & Stuart Inc bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 14,296 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,146,000. Air Products and Chemicals comprises 3.0% of Clark & Stuart Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 0.3% in the third quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO now owns 11,593 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,452,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. CX Institutional raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,343 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $400,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Stockton lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Stockton now owns 1,813 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $540,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 22.3% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 203 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chesapeake Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 2,189 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $652,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on APD. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. UBS Group raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, November 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $331.53.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE APD opened at $292.88 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.52. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $212.24 and a fifty-two week high of $337.00. The stock has a market cap of $65.13 billion, a PE ratio of 17.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $309.41 and a 200-day moving average of $292.76.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.42%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently 41.21%.

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.