Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Shares Bought by Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC

Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 12.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 20,207 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 2,223 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $5,166,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Sachetta LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Security National Bank acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Thompson Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD opened at $287.27 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $63.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.93, a PEG ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.81. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $212.24 and a 52 week high of $301.03. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $273.10 and a 200-day moving average of $258.99.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The basic materials company reported $3.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.04 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $2.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.04 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 21.24% and a return on equity of 16.53%. As a group, analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.32 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.46%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the subject of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $323.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $291.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $240.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, September 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $297.40.

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.