Aberdeen Group plc Acquires 44,713 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. by 70.1% in Q1, owning over 108,000 shares worth approximately $31.7 million.
• Air Products reported earnings per share (EPS) of $3.09 for the last quarter, exceeding expectations, with a revenues increase of 1.2% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, resulting in an annualized payout of $7.16 and a dividend yield of 2.5%.

Aberdeen Group plc raised its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 70.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 108,535 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 44,713 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $31,701,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Horizon Investments LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 8,238 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,415,000 after acquiring an additional 860 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 137.2% in the 1st quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 60,043 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $17,708,000 after acquiring an additional 34,734 shares in the last quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 97.1% in the 1st quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 41,239 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $12,162,000 after acquiring an additional 20,318 shares in the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 9,874 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,912,000 after acquiring an additional 473 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,560.0% in the 1st quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 183 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity 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 dated Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total value of $397,344.42. Following the sale, the vice president owned 8,686 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,539,612.68. The trade was a 13.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 30th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. UBS Group boosted their price target 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. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $335.07.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD traded up $2.1630 on Wednesday, reaching $292.3830. The stock had a trading volume of 534,083 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,306,645. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.69 and a fifty-two week high of $341.14. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $287.95 and a 200-day moving average of $287.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The company has a market capitalization of $65.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.43 and a beta of 0.81.

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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.10. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 12.86%.The business had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.95 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be given a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 103.02%.

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.