JGP Wealth Management LLC Purchases 1,124 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

JGP Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 43,516 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,124 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals accounts for approximately 1.8% of JGP Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. JGP Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $11,915,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Dover Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Dover Advisors LLC now owns 1,894 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $540,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 1,566 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $444,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 25.9% during the 4th quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 180 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Vestcor Inc increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 5,261 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,622,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Finally, Columbia Trust Co 01012016 lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.7% during the third quarter. Columbia Trust Co 01012016 now owns 5,502 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,559,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.62% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:APD traded up $0.98 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $245.61. The company had a trading volume of 1,172,439 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,893,601. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $243.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $266.58. The stock has a market cap of $54.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.44, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $307.71.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.84% and a net margin of 18.82%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.64 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be paid a $1.77 dividend. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.88%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently 66.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on APD shares. UBS Group downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $328.00 to $241.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Seaport Res Ptn downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Argus downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 26th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $250.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $240.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $280.29.

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.