Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. Has $6.07 Million Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. cut its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 0.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 20,921 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 51 shares during the quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $6,068,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% in the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC increased its position 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 worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 2.1 %

NYSE APD opened at $311.70 on Thursday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $227.53 and a 52-week high of $341.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $310.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $306.65.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.78% and a net margin of 31.88%. Equities research analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 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 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.30%. The ex-dividend date 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 is 41.58%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Wilbur Mok sold 1,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.88, for a total transaction of $410,644.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,193 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,008,604.84. This trade represents a 28.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total value of $474,255.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,462 shares in the company, valued at approximately $462,240.54. The trade was a 50.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 14,911 shares of company stock worth $4,660,897. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APD has been the subject of several research reports. BNP Paribas raised Air Products and Chemicals to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $343.53.

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.