Bank of America Corp DE Purchases 556,188 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Bank of America increased its Air Products and Chemicals stake by 14.3%, purchasing 556,188 shares to reach 4.44 million shares valued at approximately $1.29 billion, or about 2% of the company.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 81.66% of APD, with Capital International Investors, ClearBridge Investments and UBS among those significantly expanding their positions.
• Air Products beat quarterly EPS expectations with $3.47 versus $3.34 forecast, raised its fiscal 2026 EPS outlook to $13.39–$13.49, and announced a $1.81 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 2.4% yield.

Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 14.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,443,531 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 556,188 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE owned approximately 2.00% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $1,290,801,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $1,063,906,000. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,792,580 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $3,160,023,000 after purchasing an additional 3,922,567 shares during the period. Viking Global Investors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the second quarter valued at approximately $607,601,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 70.2% in the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,694,659 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $665,609,000 after buying an additional 1,111,378 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 644.6% during the third quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,031,306 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $281,258,000 after buying an additional 892,793 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE APD opened at $299.75 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.43. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $229.11 and a fifty-two week high of $314.87. The stock has a market cap of $66.75 billion, a PE ratio of 31.72, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.73. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $289.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $286.63.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.34 by $0.13. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The business had revenue of $3.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.09 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Air Products and Chemicals has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.390-13.490 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.550-3.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is presently 76.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Berenberg Bank set a $350.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $358.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. One research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $326.88.

Trending Headlines about Air Products and Chemicals

Here are the key news stories impacting Air Products and Chemicals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted fiscal third-quarter EPS was $3.47, above the roughly $3.34-$3.36 analyst consensus and ahead of the company’s guidance range. Adjusted operating income reached $810 million, supported by higher on-site volumes, pricing and favorable currency effects. APD Q3 Earnings Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Air Products raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $13.39-$13.49, above the prior consensus estimate of $13.22, and issued fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $3.55-$3.65 versus a $3.52 consensus. The raised forecast was a key catalyst for the stock. Air Products FY2026 EPS Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s decision to discontinue the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, an Arizona zero-carbon liquid hydrogen facility and other smaller projects reduces expected fiscal 2026 capital expenditures to approximately $3.5 billion. Investors may view the portfolio reset as improving capital discipline and reducing exposure to costly, lower-return projects. Air Products Reports Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Air Products also announced an electronics-related agreement in Taiwan to build and operate four air-separation units and related gas infrastructure, while finalizing a renewable-ammonia marketing agreement connected to the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project. These initiatives support longer-term growth but are unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Air Products Third Quarter Results and Projects
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP results were sharply negative, with a $6.47 loss per share and a $2.1 billion operating loss, primarily from project and asset-action charges, including a reported $2.9 billion Louisiana-related charge. Revenue of $3.16 billion rose 4.6% year over year but fell short of the approximately $3.20 billion consensus. Air Products Swings to Third-Quarter Loss

About Air Products and Chemicals

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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