Ariston Services Group Purchases 196 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Ariston Services Group increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 14.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,586 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals makes up 0.4% of Ariston Services Group’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Ariston Services Group’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $409,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of APD. Roble Belko & Company Inc bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Sachetta LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Security National Bank purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Thompson Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 0.9 %

APD traded down $2.60 during trading on Thursday, reaching $273.89. The stock had a trading volume of 846,409 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,724,453. 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 capitalization of $60.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.72, a P/E/G ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $267.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $251.21.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be paid a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.58%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 63.90%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on APD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $310.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $275.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Citigroup raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $291.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $296.53.

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.