AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs Purchases New Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs acquired 8,674 shares of Air Products and Chemicals, valued at approximately $2.42 million, during the first quarter.
• Air Products and Chemicals reported a quarterly earnings per share of $3.09, exceeding analyst expectations of $2.99, and had a revenue of $3.02 billion, which was higher than projected.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, translating to an annualized yield of 2.4%, with the dividend payout ratio exceeding 100% at 103.02%.

AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 8,674 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $2,419,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Saudi Central Bank bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth about $26,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% during the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ransom Advisory Ltd bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE APD traded down $4.57 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $284.95. The stock had a trading volume of 735,882 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,242,337. The company's 50-day moving average price is $291.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $283.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.29. The company has a market capitalization of $63.42 billion, a PE ratio of 41.00, a P/E/G ratio of 6.53 and a beta of 0.82. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.69 and a 12 month high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.10. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.86% and a return on equity of 15.11%. The business had revenue of $3.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.20 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Air Products and Chemicals has set its FY 2025 guidance at 11.900-12.100 EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at 3.270-3.470 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is currently 103.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on APD. Argus raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $335.07.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total transaction of $397,344.42. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 8,686 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,539,612.68. This represents a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Company Profile

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.