Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) Sets New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Air Products and Chemicals hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $307.95 after closing at $303.60 the prior day. The stock was up about 0.3% on the session.
• Recent analyst commentary has been broadly positive, with several firms raising price targets and BMO Capital Markets upgrading the stock to outperform. The consensus rating is Moderate Buy, with an average target of $323.12.
• The company posted better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $3.20 versus estimates of $3.06 and revenue up 8.8% year over year. It also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share, implying a 2.4% annual yield.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $307.95 and last traded at $307.6910, with a volume of 153230 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $303.60.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. UBS Group increased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. BMO Capital Markets raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $360.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Mizuho set a $345.00 price objective on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.12.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.3%

The business's fifty day moving average is $291.27 and its 200-day moving average is $271.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.83 billion, a PE ratio of 32.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.06 by $0.14. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. Air Products and Chemicals's revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Air Products and Chemicals has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.250 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.250-3.350 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.61%.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, Director Ridge Lp Mantle sold 70,175 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.21, for a total value of $19,944,436.75. Following the transaction, 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total value of $824,404.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. This represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 1.88% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Air Products and Chemicals

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% during the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

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.

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