OLD Second National Bank of Aurora Has $1.54 Million Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

OLD Second National Bank of Aurora lowered its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 2.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,606 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 165 shares during the period. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,535,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Legacy Bridge LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $35,000. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.4% in the third quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Artemis Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE APD traded up $1.42 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $230.43. 264,924 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,731,994. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $235.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $257.98. 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 $51.22 billion, a PE ratio of 21.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.81.

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

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be paid a $1.77 dividend. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is 67.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. TheStreet lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $240.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Barclays dropped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $245.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Argus lowered Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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.