Meeder Advisory Services Inc. Boosts Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Meeder Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 5.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 4,206 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,220,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Generali Investments Management Co LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the fourth quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% in the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of APD stock opened at $295.05 on Thursday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $227.53 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.64 billion, a PE ratio of 17.13, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $310.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $309.48.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share 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%. Equities analysts expect 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This is an increase 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 2.43%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 41.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, insider Wilbur Mok sold 1,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.88, for a total value of $410,644.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,193 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,008,604.84. The trade was a 28.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total transaction of $616,896.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,834 shares in the company, valued at $1,173,204. The trade was a 34.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $365.00 to $355.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. 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 report on Friday, February 7th. 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, UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $340.88.

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.