Virtu Financial LLC Grows Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Virtu Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 37.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 9,442 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,557 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $2,585,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Sachetta LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Security National Bank purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Stuart Chaussee & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 257.6% during the 4th quarter. Stuart Chaussee & Associates Inc. now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded down $10.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $275.14. 1,503,360 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,585,577. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $212.24 and a one year high of $307.71. The company has a market cap of $61.17 billion, a PE ratio of 24.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $252.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $251.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $2.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.70 by $0.15. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 20.32% and a return on equity of 16.56%. The business had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.74 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.3 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.57%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APD has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $305.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $276.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $275.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 10th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $287.29.

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.