Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD is Electron Capital Partners LLC's 5th Largest Position

Key Points

• Electron Capital Partners LLC has significantly increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. by 251.4%, making it the firm's 5th largest position, now holding approximately 311,668 shares valued at $91.9 million.
• Brokerages are optimistic about Air Products' future, with several raising their price targets; for instance, Mizuho increased its target from $310 to $325, while Royal Bank of Canada set a target of $355.
• Air Products announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, with the dividend yield currently sitting at 2.5%, but its payout ratio stands at 103.02%.

Electron Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 251.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 311,668 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 222,980 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals makes up 6.0% of Electron Capital Partners LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Electron Capital Partners LLC owned about 0.14% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $91,917,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dodge & Cox raised its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 31.5% during the 1st quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,759,722 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,583,417,000 after buying an additional 2,096,568 shares in the last quarter. Mantle Ridge LP acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth about $1,191,344,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.4% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,096,277 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $913,154,000 after acquiring an additional 43,695 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,397,210 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $695,287,000 after buying an additional 34,676 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 159.2% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,725,762 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $508,962,000 after buying an additional 1,059,970 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.5%

APD stock traded down $1.39 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $287.52. The company had a trading volume of 171,352 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,252,228. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $291.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $284.74. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.69 and a 12 month high of $341.14. The stock has a market cap of $63.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.35, a PEG ratio of 6.47 and a beta of 0.82.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.20 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on APD shares. Mizuho increased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. 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 for the company. Citigroup increased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $335.07.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

About Air Products and Chemicals

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.