Claro Advisors LLC Buys 401 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Claro Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 14.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 3,267 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 401 shares during the period. Claro Advisors LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $791,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Sachetta LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Security National Bank acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Thompson Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

APD stock opened at $247.18 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $259.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $251.71. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $212.24 and a 1-year high of $307.71. The firm has a market cap of $54.95 billion, a PE ratio of 22.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.81.

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, research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be paid a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 63.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on APD shares. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $245.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $275.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $276.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $287.29.

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.