BDF Gestion Has $2.17 Million Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

BDF Gestion lowered its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 11.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 7,490 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 974 shares during the quarter. BDF Gestion’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $2,172,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of APD. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 21,363 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,512,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 123.1% during the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,717 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,024,000 after acquiring an additional 6,464 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 16.7% during the 2nd quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC now owns 966 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $249,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 2nd quarter worth $17,233,000. Finally, Heritage Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 2nd quarter worth $1,047,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $327.45 on Thursday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $72.82 billion, a PE ratio of 19.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.84. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $310.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $298.00. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $337.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.19%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is 41.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APD has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $308.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $350.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $338.47.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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.