Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD Holdings Decreased by Candriam S.C.A.

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. reduced its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 8.4%, selling 6,144 shares and bringing their total to 66,664 shares worth approximately $19.66 million.
• Wall Street analysts have shown confidence in the company, with Wells Fargo raising the price target from $320 to $345 and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $335.07.
• Air Products and Chemicals plans to distribute a quarterly dividend of $1.79 on November 10, with an annualized yield of 2.4%, despite a payout ratio exceeding 100%.

Candriam S.C.A. trimmed its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 8.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 66,664 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 6,144 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $19,661,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 129.4% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,429,147 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,574,670,000 after purchasing an additional 3,062,157 shares in the last quarter. Mantle Ridge LP purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,191,344,000. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,583,156 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,039,259,000 after acquiring an additional 156,419 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.4% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,096,277 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $913,154,000 after purchasing an additional 43,695 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,397,210 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $695,287,000 after purchasing an additional 34,676 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 8,686 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,539,612.68. This trade represents a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 1.9%

NYSE:APD traded up $5.4990 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $299.0190. The stock had a trading volume of 765,247 shares, compared to its average volume of 930,976. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.69 and a 1-year high of $341.14. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $288.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $286.64. The company has a market cap of $66.55 billion, a PE ratio of 43.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.68 and a beta of 0.81.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued 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. 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.20 earnings per share. Air Products and Chemicals's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. 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. 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on APD. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Mizuho raised 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 report on Tuesday, July 15th. Citigroup raised 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 report on Monday, June 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $335.07.

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.