Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD Shares Purchased by Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC

Key Points

• Kestra Private Wealth Services increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 42.3% in the first quarter, buying 4,779 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 16,069 shares worth about $4.67 million.
• Air Products and Chemicals reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $3.20 per share topping estimates and revenue rising 8.8% year over year to $3.17 billion. The company also provided FY 2026 EPS guidance of 13.00 to 13.25.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share, payable August 10, implying an annualized yield of 2.6%. Analysts remain generally positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $323.12.

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 42.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,069 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,779 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $4,668,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of APD. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% in the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares in the company, valued at $4,317,037.12. This represents a 16.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.88% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD stock opened at $277.95 on Friday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $229.11 and a 12-month high of $307.96. 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 market capitalization of $61.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.74. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $289.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $277.75.

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 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.23 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, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 76.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on APD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $338.00 to $341.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. UBS Group raised their target price 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. Berenberg Bank set a $350.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.12.

Air Products and Chemicals 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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