Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Buys 182 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 3.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,975 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,733,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rockland Trust Co. lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 8.1% during the fourth quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 46,071 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $13,362,000 after purchasing an additional 3,464 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,113 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,483,000 after buying an additional 473 shares in the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth $637,000. Marcum Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 1,530 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $444,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $435,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $295.00 to $364.00 in a research note on Monday, October 7th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 8th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $332.71.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 2.1 %

APD stock opened at $323.65 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.97 billion, a PE ratio of 18.84, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $212.24 and a twelve month high of $337.00. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $309.74 and its 200-day moving average is $295.76.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.21%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.21%.

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.