Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Acquires 14,077 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,249,142 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,077 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 0.56% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $371,920,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1,700.0% during the second quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 144 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Beacon Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 128.8% during the 1st quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 183 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

NYSE APD opened at $331.83 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $310.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $282.67. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $212.24 and a 52 week high of $332.69. 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 $73.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.31, a PEG ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.81.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.13%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently 41.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Evercore ISI upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $305.00 to $365.00 in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $295.00 to $364.00 in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $331.53.

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.