Gulf International Bank UK Ltd Lowers Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd lowered its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 1.1% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 16,786 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 185 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $4,868,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of APD. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Newton One Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. 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 research note on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. BMO Capital Markets lowered Air Products and Chemicals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $339.94.

Insider Activity

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total transaction of $474,255.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,462 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $462,240.54. The trade was a 50.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total value of $616,896.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,834 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,173,204. This represents a 34.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 14,911 shares of company stock worth $4,660,897. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD stock opened at $312.83 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $69.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.17, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $309.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $305.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $227.53 and a 12 month high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.29%. 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 payout ratio is currently 41.11%.

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.