Saxon Interests Inc. Purchases Shares of 3,139 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Saxon Interests Inc. purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 3,139 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $859,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.4% during the 3rd quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded up $0.93 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $242.27. 1,439,940 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,653,677. The stock has a market cap of $53.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.81. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $212.24 and a 52-week high of $307.71. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $239.78 and its 200 day moving average is $264.01.

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

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.79%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on APD. Seaport Res Ptn cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $279.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $328.00 to $241.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $305.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $280.29.

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.