Capital Research Global Investors Purchases 137,595 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Capital Research Global Investors increased its Air Products and Chemicals stake by 1.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 137,595 shares and bringing its holdings to about 11.9 million shares worth roughly $2.94 billion.
• Air Products and Chemicals reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $3.20 and revenue of $3.17 billion, both above analyst expectations. Revenue rose 8.8% year over year, and the company reaffirmed upbeat FY2026 guidance.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share, equivalent to an annualized yield of 2.6%. Meanwhile, analysts remain generally positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $323.12.

Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,904,537 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 137,595 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors owned approximately 5.35% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $2,940,665,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,304,678 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $5,509,702,000 after purchasing an additional 303,944 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,792,580 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $3,160,023,000 after purchasing an additional 3,922,567 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.1% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,559,492 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,607,065,000 after purchasing an additional 106,578 shares in the last quarter. Dodge & Cox lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.1% in the third quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 9,004,892 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,455,814,000 after purchasing an additional 183,492 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 21.6% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,616,305 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,258,678,000 after purchasing an additional 821,524 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total value of $824,404.64. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. This represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.88% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE APD opened at $282.74 on Friday. The business's 50 day moving average price is $293.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $275.38. The company has a market cap of $62.96 billion, a PE ratio of 29.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $229.11 and a twelve month high of $307.96.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.06 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The business's revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.69 earnings per share. Air Products and Chemicals has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.250 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.250-3.350 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.81 per share. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 76.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on APD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $338.00 to $341.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Monday, May 4th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $360.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.12.

Air Products and Chemicals Company Profile

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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