Rialto Wealth Management LLC Makes New $87,000 Investment in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Rialto Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 301 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in APD. Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 69.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 40.3% during the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 108 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 2,362 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.82, for a total transaction of $745,966.84. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 10,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,172,411.90. This represents a 19.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Sean D. Major sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.46, for a total transaction of $1,419,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 14,273 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,502,560.58. This trade represents a 23.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,842,604. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on APD. UBS Group lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded Air Products and Chemicals from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $350.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Monday, January 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $343.53.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD stock opened at $316.76 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $70.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.39, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.85. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $227.53 and a 12-month high of $341.14. The business’s 50 day moving average is $311.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $307.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.13 by ($0.27). Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 31.88% and a return on equity of 15.78%. Analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.77. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is 41.58%.

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.