Kieckhefer Group LLC Makes New Investment in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Kieckhefer Group LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 6,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,943,000. Air Products and Chemicals makes up 1.2% of Kieckhefer Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% in 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. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 58.8% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 135 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on APD shares. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $308.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. StockNews.com raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $331.53.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE APD traded up $6.80 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $299.88. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 709,796 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,314,457. The stock has a market cap of $66.69 billion, a PE ratio of 17.46, a PEG ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.84. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $309.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $292.76. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $212.24 and a 52 week high of $337.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a dividend of $1.77 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.36%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 41.21%.

Air Products and Chemicals Company 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.