RWA Wealth Partners LLC Invests $3.88 Million in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

RWA Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 14,162 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,878,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of APD. Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 10.4% during the 3rd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 938 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $266,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,673,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 25.5% in the 3rd quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 207 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Cedar Brook Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 7.6% in the 3rd quarter. Cedar Brook Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,020 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $289,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 20,808 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,940,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD opened at $234.36 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $236.12 and a 200-day moving average of $256.79. The company has a market capitalization of $52.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.36, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.81. 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.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.82 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 firm had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.64 EPS. Air Products and Chemicals’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be given a $1.77 dividend. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.75. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.02%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is 67.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on APD shares. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $305.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 16th. TheStreet lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $240.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, UBS Group lowered shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $328.00 to $241.00 in a report on Thursday, February 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target 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.