Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Acquired by Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC

Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 2,025.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 79,886 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 76,127 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals comprises approximately 0.9% of Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $23,170,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 106.3% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 13,494 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,914,000 after acquiring an additional 6,952 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 59.2% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 374,442 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $111,488,000 after purchasing an additional 139,223 shares during the last quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $7,269,000. Forsta AP Fonden increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 13.4% during the 3rd quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 45,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $13,607,000 after purchasing an additional 5,400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 88.2% in the 4th quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,490 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,074,000 after purchasing an additional 4,916 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total value of $616,896.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,834 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,173,204. This represents a 34.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Victoria Brifo sold 2,362 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.82, for a total transaction of $745,966.84. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 10,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,172,411.90. The trade was a 19.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,411 shares of company stock worth $4,186,642 in the last three months. 0.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

APD stock opened at $316.89 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $308.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $304.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.40, a PEG ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $225.26 and a 1 year high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. On average, research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.26%. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is 41.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $315.00 to $365.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $320.00 price target (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note 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 objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $339.94.

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.