Stifel Financial Corp Increases Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Stifel Financial Corp increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 0.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,634,572 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,191 shares during the quarter. Stifel Financial Corp’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $474,110,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $919,721,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $885,371,000. Capital International Investors purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $436,636,000. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1,615.5% during the fourth quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 530,005 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $153,723,000 after acquiring an additional 499,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Senator Investment Group LP purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $133,551,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total value of $1,419,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,502,560.58. This trade represents a 23.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Walter L. Nelson sold 589 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.50, for a total transaction of $181,706.50. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 719 shares in the company, valued at approximately $221,811.50. The trade was a 45.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE APD opened at $262.88 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.27, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.89. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $292.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $306.70. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $228.81 and a 12 month high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 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%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

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 paid a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date 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 dividend yield of 2.72%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently 41.58%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on APD. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $320.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $373.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $370.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Bank of America cut Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and cut their price target for the company from $330.00 to $282.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $332.18.

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.