Bailard Inc. Decreases Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Bailard Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 8.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 4,904 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 449 shares during the period. Bailard Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,343,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Legacy Bridge LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Cetera Trust Company N.A acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $235.18. The company had a trading volume of 440,286 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,707,273. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $236.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $256.16. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $212.24 and a 1-year high of $307.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.81. The company has a market capitalization of $52.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.81.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 18.82% and a return on equity of 16.84%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.64 EPS. Analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APD has been the topic of several research reports. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $304.00 to $295.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Seaport Res Ptn cut shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, March 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $279.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the company from $328.00 to $241.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $276.36.

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.