Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) Director Sells $19,944,436.75 in Stock

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Director Ridge Lp Mantle sold 70,175 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.21, for a total value of $19,944,436.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 93,499 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,573,350.79. This trade represents a 42.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of NYSE:APD traded down $6.84 during trading on Friday, reaching $284.66. 681,128 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,433,685. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $259.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $267.96. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $229.11 and a 12-month high of $321.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $63.38 billion, a PE ratio of -188.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.87.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.04 by $0.12. Air Products and Chemicals had a negative net margin of 2.73% and a positive return on equity of 15.77%. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.86 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently -474.17%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

APD has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $282.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Citigroup upped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $272.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Evercore reduced their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $325.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Argus cut their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $317.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $295.88.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Air Products and Chemicals

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,040,494 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $257,023,000 after purchasing an additional 9,188 shares during the period. Wealthspire Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% in the fourth quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 2,584 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $638,000 after purchasing an additional 792 shares during the period. Columbia Bank increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Columbia Bank now owns 8,282 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,046,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 11,623 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,871,000 after purchasing an additional 611 shares during the period. Finally, HRT Financial LP purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $109,351,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.