Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Reduces Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. significantly reduced its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, selling 7,843 shares and now owning just 6,207 shares, valued at approximately $1.83 million.
• Institutional ownership of Air Products and Chemicals is notably high, with 81.66% of the stock held by institutional investors and hedge funds, indicating strong investor interest.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, with a yield of 2.4% based on its current price, although its dividend payout ratio stands at a high 103.02%.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. decreased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 55.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,207 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 7,843 shares during the quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,828,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Groupama Asset Managment bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth about $525,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 159.4% during the 1st quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 25,066 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $7,392,000 after purchasing an additional 15,404 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 10.2% during the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. now owns 60,016 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $17,700,000 after acquiring an additional 5,562 shares during the period. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 9.5% during the 1st quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 2,406 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $709,000 after acquiring an additional 209 shares during the period. Finally, Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 50.7% in the 1st quarter. Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc now owns 1,100 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $324,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD traded down $4.9730 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $294.3270. The stock had a trading volume of 403,811 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,294,385. 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 business has a fifty day moving average of $288.74 and a 200 day moving average of $286.34. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.69 and a 12 month high of $341.14. The firm has a market cap of $65.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.35, a PEG ratio of 6.68 and a beta of 0.81.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.20 EPS. The firm's revenue 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. Equities analysts predict 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. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is presently 103.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Citigroup raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 30th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. 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 target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $335.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 transaction of $397,344.42. Following the sale, the vice president owned 8,686 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,539,612.68. The trade was a 13.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals 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.