Insider Selling: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Insider Sells 2,016 Shares of Stock

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) insider Francesco Maione sold 2,016 shares of the business’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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,173,204. This trade represents a 34.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE APD traded down $2.43 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $308.13. 528,758 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,873,077. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $309.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $302.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.89, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $216.30 and a twelve month high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. As a group, research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.32%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently 41.11%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Air Products and Chemicals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in APD. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $555,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 22.3% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 203 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA now owns 1,592 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $474,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares during the period. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,480 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,334,000 after acquiring an additional 562 shares during the period. Finally, CVA Family Office LLC lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 674 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $201,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on APD shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $320.00 price target (down from $345.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $339.94.

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.