Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Receives $276.36 Average Price Target from Analysts

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the fifteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $276.36.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on APD. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $240.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Argus lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 26th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $305.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE APD opened at $229.08 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $235.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $257.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. Air Products and Chemicals has a 12-month low of $212.24 and a 12-month high of $307.71. The firm has a market cap of $50.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.86, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.81.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.00 by ($0.18). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 18.82% and a return on equity of 16.84%. The business had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.64 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals will post 12.38 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.09%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.56%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Air Products and Chemicals

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Trilogy Capital Inc. bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at approximately $2,625,000. Founders Financial Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 140.6% during the first quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 2,505 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $607,000 after purchasing an additional 1,464 shares in the last quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 19.7% during the first quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 2,268 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 373 shares in the last quarter. Vicus Capital bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at approximately $321,000. Finally, Romano Brothers AND Company increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 133.0% during the first quarter. Romano Brothers AND Company now owns 14,609 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,539,000 after acquiring an additional 8,340 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

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.