Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Raises Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 200,000 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 100,000 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $59,548,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Forsta AP Fonden increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 13.4% during the third quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 45,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $13,607,000 after buying an additional 5,400 shares during the period. Jensen Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 65.0% in the third quarter. Jensen Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,170 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,921,000 after purchasing an additional 5,190 shares during the last quarter. Woodstock Corp grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 6.5% in the third quarter. Woodstock Corp now owns 38,976 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $11,605,000 after purchasing an additional 2,387 shares during the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the third quarter worth $3,234,000. Finally, ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 33.8% in the third quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 51,110 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $15,217,000 after purchasing an additional 12,925 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD stock opened at $334.91 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $312.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $284.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.52. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $212.24 and a one year high of $336.42. The firm has a market cap of $74.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.49, a P/E/G ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 0.81.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $7.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.11%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $345.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $295.00 to $364.00 in a report on Monday, October 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 23rd. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $308.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $331.53.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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.