Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts
by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets DailyShares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD – Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $300.8824.
Several equities analysts have commented on APD shares. UBS Group raised their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $272.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Argus decreased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $317.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $270.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $275.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th.
Check Out Our Latest Report on APD
Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals
In related news, Director Ridge Lp Mantle sold 70,175 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.21, for a total transaction of $19,944,436.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 93,499 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,573,350.79. This trade represents a 42.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.88% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Air Products and Chemicals
A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of APD. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $1,063,906,000. Capital International Investors increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,792,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,160,023,000 after purchasing an additional 3,922,567 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 2nd quarter valued at about $607,601,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 70.2% in the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,694,659 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $665,609,000 after buying an additional 1,111,378 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 644.6% in the third quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,031,306 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $281,258,000 after buying an additional 892,793 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance
Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $280.86 on Friday. Air Products and Chemicals has a fifty-two week low of $229.11 and a fifty-two week high of $301.11. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $275.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $265.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.46. The stock has a market cap of $62.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -186.00, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.88.
Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.04 by $0.12. Air Products and Chemicals had a positive return on equity of 15.77% and a negative net margin of 2.73%.The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.86 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Air Products and Chemicals has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.100 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 12.850-13.150 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals will post 12.69 earnings per share 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 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be given a $1.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently -474.17%.
About Air Products and Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc is a global supplier of industrial gases and related equipment and services, headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company produces and delivers atmospheric gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon, as well as specialty and process gases used across a wide range of industrial applications. Air Products designs, builds and operates gas production facilities, merchant distribution networks and on-site gas systems for customers that require reliable, high-purity gases and integrated supply solutions.
The company’s product and service portfolio includes packaged and bulk gas supply, pipeline distribution, on-site generation, gas handling and storage equipment, and engineered systems for gas liquefaction and purification.