Bailard Inc. Reduces Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Bailard Inc. decreased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 8.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,904 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 449 shares during the period. Bailard Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,343,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Cetera Trust Company N.A bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on APD shares. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $279.00 target price for the company. UBS Group lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the company from $328.00 to $241.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Barclays cut their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $245.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $276.36.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of APD stock traded up $0.10 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $235.18. 440,286 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,707,273. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market cap of $52.28 billion, a PE ratio of 22.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.81. The company’s 50 day moving average is $236.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $256.16. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $212.24 and a 1 year high of $307.71.

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

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.