Czech National Bank Buys 3,248 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Czech National Bank raised its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 42,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,248 shares during the quarter. Czech National Bank’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $10,932,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 62.3% during the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 11,230,051 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,720,704,000 after acquiring an additional 4,309,040 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $852,288,000. Raymond James & Associates raised its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 8.7% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 2,099,419 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $508,626,000 after buying an additional 167,800 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3.3% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,029,678 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $491,730,000 after buying an additional 64,427 shares during the period. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 50.6% during the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,547,202 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $374,841,000 after buying an additional 520,179 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE:APD traded down $1.73 during trading on Monday, reaching $276.50. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 124,766 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,735,325. The firm has a market cap of $61.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.81. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $212.24 and a 12 month high of $307.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.27. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $267.31 and a 200-day moving average of $250.70.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

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 issued a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $7.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.56%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.90%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on APD. StockNews.com raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. UBS Group boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $257.00 to $268.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $240.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $296.53.

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.