Delta Financial Advisors LLC Sells 148 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Delta Financial Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 2.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,993 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 148 shares during the period. Delta Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,915,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $245.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $240.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. TD Cowen decreased 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. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $264.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $276.36.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:APD traded up $2.05 during trading on Thursday, reaching $231.06. The stock had a trading volume of 461,739 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,734,523. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $235.38 and its 200 day moving average is $257.98. 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 stock has a market cap of $51.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.81.

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

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.06%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 67.56%.

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.