Stablepoint Partners LLC Has $1.53 Million Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Stablepoint Partners LLC increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 3.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,277 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. Stablepoint Partners LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,531,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Archford Capital Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 6,835 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,982,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,032 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $879,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas now owns 128,143 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,167,000 after purchasing an additional 1,902 shares in the last quarter. Tran Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $8,499,000. Finally, Running Oak Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Running Oak Capital LLC now owns 45,074 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $13,046,000 after buying an additional 1,666 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 1.6 %

NYSE:APD opened at $329.29 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $310.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $296.47. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $212.24 and a 52-week high of $337.00. The company has a market cap of $73.23 billion, a PE ratio of 19.17, a PEG ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.52.

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 paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APD has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $330.00 to $350.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, November 18th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, 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 research report on Monday, October 7th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $335.65.

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.