BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Boosts Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. by 159.4% in the first quarter, acquiring an additional 15,404 shares.
• Air Products reported earnings of $3.09 per share for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations and setting its FY 2025 EPS guidance between 11.900-12.100.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, which will be paid on November 10th, representing a 2.5% yield.

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 159.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,066 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 15,404 shares during the quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $7,392,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% during the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% during the fourth quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,560.0% during the first quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 183 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 178 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of APD traded up $5.4990 on Friday, hitting $299.0190. 765,247 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 930,976. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.02, a P/E/G ratio of 6.55 and a beta of 0.81. The stock's 50 day moving average is $288.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $286.96. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.69 and a 1 year high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $3.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.86% and a return on equity of 15.11%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.20 earnings per share. 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 predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 103.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APD has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of 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. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of 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. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $335.07.

Insider Activity

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the vice president owned 8,686 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,539,612.68. This trade represents a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

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.