United Asset Strategies Inc. Purchases 259 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

United Asset Strategies Inc. grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 1.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 17,828 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the period. United Asset Strategies Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $5,171,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. KBC Group NV increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 34,914 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $10,127,000 after buying an additional 1,436 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,062 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,209,000 after acquiring an additional 551 shares during the last quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 11.5% in the 4th quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 773 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $224,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Stablepoint Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Stablepoint Partners LLC now owns 5,277 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,531,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Archford Capital Strategies LLC boosted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 6,835 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,982,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $329.29 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 cap of $73.23 billion, a PE ratio of 19.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a 50 day moving average of $310.14 and a 200-day moving average of $297.05. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $212.24 and a 1-year high of $337.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.21%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on APD shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $295.00 to $364.00 in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Bank of America cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $330.00 to $350.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $337.88.

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.