Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Sold by Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. reduced its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 34,602 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,554 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $10,036,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 78,328 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $20,213,000 after purchasing an additional 1,852 shares in the last quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter worth about $530,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 175.4% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,333 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $352,000 after buying an additional 849 shares during the period. Certified Advisory Corp increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 15.5% in the second quarter. Certified Advisory Corp now owns 5,888 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,519,000 after buying an additional 792 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 67.8% during the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 8,540 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,204,000 after acquiring an additional 3,451 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on APD. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $295.00 to $364.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $305.00 to $365.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Vertical Research upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $336.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $308.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $332.71.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE APD opened at $319.62 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $71.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.60, a P/E/G ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.84. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $337.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The company has a 50-day moving average of $309.49 and a 200-day moving average of $295.14.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.21%.

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.