Yousif Capital Management LLC Lowers Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Yousif Capital Management LLC cut its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 5.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 52,135 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,226 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $15,376,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of APD. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,742 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $505,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 2,028 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $588,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 974 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $282,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baker Avenue Asset Management LP boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Baker Avenue Asset Management LP now owns 1,540 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $447,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $279.94 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $270.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $295.34. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.69 and a 1 year high of $341.14. The stock has a market cap of $62.30 billion, a PE ratio of 16.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.86.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.83 by ($0.14). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. The firm had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.85 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.56%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 104.07%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APD has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $335.00 to $324.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $290.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $331.00.

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.