Founders Financial Securities LLC Purchases 1,464 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Founders Financial Securities LLC lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 140.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,505 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,464 shares during the period. Founders Financial Securities LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $607,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Roble Belko & Company Inc acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Sachetta LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Security National Bank bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 1.9 %

Shares of APD stock traded down $5.02 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $258.05. 2,606,874 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,045,374. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $307.71. The stock has a market cap of $57.37 billion, a PE ratio of 23.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.84. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $259.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $251.83.

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

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be paid a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is 63.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on APD. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $286.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $240.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $276.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Bank of America increased their target price 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $270.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $287.29.

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.