Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Stock Holdings Decreased by BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.

BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. lessened its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 28.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 124,128 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 49,962 shares during the quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. owned approximately 0.06% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $37,283,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 72.9% in the 1st quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,428 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $346,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 18.8% in the first quarter. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,522 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $369,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares during the period. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 6.5% during the first quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,245 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $544,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth $6,250,000. Finally, 1832 Asset Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 67,507 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $16,355,000 after buying an additional 2,321 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

NYSE APD opened at $328.69 on Friday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $332.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.07 billion, a PE ratio of 19.13, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.81. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $309.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $282.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.34.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.15%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on APD shares. UBS Group raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday. Vertical Research raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $336.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, October 7th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Mizuho increased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $308.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $331.53.

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.