LEHIGH VALLEY, Pennsylvania (AP) Air Products and Chemicals Inc. said yesterday that it boosted its offer to acquire rival Airgas Inc. by almost seven percent to $70 per share, and called it its “best and final” offer in what has been a 14-month pursuit of a deal.

The offer, worth about $5.88 billion, was below what Airgas has said its board members were looking for: an offer “meaningfully” above $70 a share.

Airgas said that it will review the revised offer and advised shareholders to take no action for now.

Despite the higher offer, Airgas shares fell $3.85, or 5.8 percent, to $62.12 in late afternoon trading.

Airgas, based in Radnor, Pennsylvania, sells industrial and medical gases and provides gas equipment, welding products, tools and safety gear. Air Products, based in Allentown, Pennsylvnaia, sells gases for industrial, medical and other uses.