Chesley Taft & Associates LLC Sells 55 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Chesley Taft & Associates LLC lowered its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 0.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,522 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 55 shares during the quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $7,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% during the third quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 58.8% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 135 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at $47,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 1.6 %

APD stock opened at $317.11 on Tuesday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $212.24 and a 52 week high of $337.00. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $309.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of $295.14. 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 company has a market cap of $70.52 billion, a PE ratio of 18.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.84.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently 41.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Vertical Research upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $336.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $330.00 to $350.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $332.71.

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.