American Century Companies Inc. Raises Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 41,220 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 999 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $10,637,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Security National Bank purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Thompson Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Clear Investment Research LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 700.0% in the fourth quarter. Clear Investment Research LLC now owns 128 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 2,250.0% in the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 141 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

NYSE APD opened at $287.98 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $274.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $259.79. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $212.24 and a 52 week high of $296.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.99, a PEG ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.82.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The basic materials company reported $3.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.04 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $2.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.04 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 21.24% and a return on equity of 16.53%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 presently 63.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on APD. StockNews.com lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, September 6th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $276.00 to $281.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Barclays boosted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $240.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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.