Insider Selling: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Insider Sells 1,500 Shares of Stock

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) insider Kurt Lefevere sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $316.17, for a total value of $474,255.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,462 shares in the company, valued at $462,240.54. The trade was a 50.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock traded down $4.18 on Friday, hitting $310.10. 223,625 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,714,484. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $308.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $304.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $227.10 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The company has a market cap of $68.99 billion, a PE ratio of 18.02, a PEG ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.31%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays raised Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $315.00 to $365.00 in a research report on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $320.00 target price (down previously from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group upped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $339.94.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Air Products and Chemicals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in APD. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.