Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC Sells 1,555 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC lowered its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 27.1% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 4,175 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 1,555 shares during the period. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,011,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Sachetta LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Security National Bank acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on APD. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $240.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 10th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $305.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $287.29.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 2.0 %

Shares of APD stock opened at $257.74 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $259.73 and a 200-day moving average of $251.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $212.24 and a 12-month high of $307.71. The company has a market capitalization of $57.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.84.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $2.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.70 by $0.15. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 20.32% and a return on equity of 16.56%. The company had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.74 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.75%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is 63.90%.

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.