Boston Trust Walden Corp Trims Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Boston Trust Walden Corp lowered its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 269,708 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 8,536 shares during the quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp owned 0.12% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $78,226,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO now owns 11,593 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,452,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. CX Institutional boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.6% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,343 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $400,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Bank of Stockton grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.9% during the third quarter. Bank of Stockton now owns 1,813 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $540,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its stake 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 valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Chesapeake Wealth Management lifted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $295.00 to $364.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Mizuho lifted 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. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $330.00 to $350.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $340.50.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:APD opened at $335.36 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The company has a market capitalization of $74.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.52, a PEG ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $338.00. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $310.29 and its 200 day moving average is $299.41.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.14%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.21%.

Air Products and Chemicals 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.