Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD Shares Purchased by Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV

Key Points

• Azzad Asset Management increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 22.2% in the first quarter, adding 3,908 shares to reach 21,506 shares valued at about $6.25 million.
• Air Products and Chemicals reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $3.20 versus the $3.06 estimate and revenue of $3.17 billion, up 8.8% from a year earlier.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share, equal to a $7.24 annualized payout and a 2.5% yield, while analysts currently hold a consensus Moderate Buy rating with a $324.82 price target.

Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 22.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,506 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,908 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals comprises about 0.6% of Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV's investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $6,247,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,260 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $945,000 after purchasing an additional 412 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $245,000. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 197.6% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 281,861 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $79,498,000 after buying an additional 187,142 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.1% during the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 103,777 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $29,271,000 after buying an additional 2,171 shares during the period. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 52.5% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,474 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,873,000 after buying an additional 2,229 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 0.4%

APD stock opened at $295.43 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $65.79 billion, a PE ratio of 31.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.73. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $229.11 and a 12 month high of $314.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $290.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $281.81.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.06 by $0.14. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The business had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $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. Equities research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Berenberg Bank set a $350.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $315.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $344.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $324.82.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total transaction of $824,404.64. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.88% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Company Profile

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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