Telos Capital Management Inc. Lowers Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Telos Capital Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 1.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,333 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 492 shares during the period. Telos Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $7,928,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 29,954.1% during the 3rd quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 2,894,211 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $861,722,000 after purchasing an additional 2,884,581 shares during the period. ING Groep NV increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 240.7% in the third quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 1,023,433 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $304,717,000 after buying an additional 723,019 shares in the last quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 318.7% during the 3rd quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC now owns 948,723 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $282,473,000 after acquiring an additional 722,132 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1,685.4% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 764,489 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $249,698,000 after acquiring an additional 721,671 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 29,957.6% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 718,075 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,138,000,000 after acquiring an additional 715,686 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $328.30 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $310.40 and a 200-day moving average of $300.66. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $213.07 and a 52-week high of $341.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.11, a PEG ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.85.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.64% and a return on equity of 16.34%. As a group, analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.76 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.18%. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 41.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $345.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 8th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $340.50.

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.