Trust Co. of Vermont Lowers Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Trust Co. of Vermont trimmed its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 47,899 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 565 shares during the quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $13,893,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 88.7% during the third quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 58.8% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 135 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter valued at $47,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on APD. UBS Group upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, November 18th. StockNews.com upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 23rd. Redburn Atlantic raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $323.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $295.00 to $364.00 in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $332.71.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 1.6 %

APD stock traded up $5.05 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $317.11. The company had a trading volume of 2,315,359 shares, compared to its average volume of 855,050. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $309.34 and a 200 day moving average of $293.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.34. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $337.00. The company has a market capitalization of $70.52 billion, a PE ratio of 18.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.84.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $1.77 per share. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 41.21%.

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.