Danske Bank A S Boosts Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Danske Bank increased its stake in Air Products by 9.7% to 127,263 shares (about $31.4M), and institutional investors now own roughly 81.66% of the stock.
• Air Products beat Q2 expectations (adjusted EPS $3.20 vs. $3.06; revenue $3.17B) and raised FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance to 13.00–13.25, prompting analyst price‑target upgrades (e.g., JPMorgan $330, Wells Fargo $340) and a consensus target near $318.
• A company director sold 70,175 shares for ~$19.94M (a 42.9% reduction in that holding), and the company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.81 ($7.24 annualized, ~2.4% yield).

Danske Bank A S lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 9.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 127,263 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,263 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S owned 0.06% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $31,437,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of APD. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter worth about $607,601,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 892,793 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 21.6% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,616,305 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,258,678,000 after purchasing an additional 821,524 shares during the period. Capital International Investors boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 7.4% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 8,870,013 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,419,029,000 after purchasing an additional 609,489 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 31.2% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,880,652 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $512,891,000 after purchasing an additional 447,724 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, Director Ridge Lp Mantle sold 70,175 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.21, for a total value of $19,944,436.75. Following the sale, the director owned 93,499 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,573,350.79. This trade represents a 42.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.88% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD opened at $301.11 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $67.05 billion, a P/E ratio of -199.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $288.71 and a 200 day moving average of $268.96. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $229.11 and a twelve month high of $307.29.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $3.06 by $0.14. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The company had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -479.47%.

Key Headlines Impacting Air Products and Chemicals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and guidance raise — Air Products reported adjusted Q2 EPS of $3.20 vs. consensus ~$3.06 and raised FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $13.00–13.25 (above prior outlook). Management cited stronger pricing, helium strength and new assets coming online. Q2 Results Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets — JPMorgan raised its target to $330 (overweight) and Wells Fargo to $340 (overweight), providing additional buy-side momentum. These lifts signal growing street confidence and imply double-digit upside vs. current levels. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Capital discipline / capex reduction target — Management and press coverage note efforts to target ~$1B of capex reductions, which supports near‑term cash flow and EPS durability. MSN
• Positive Sentiment: New commercial wins and helium positioning — Company disclosed strategic wins (Samsung semiconductor supply, NASA/Artemis support) and steps to strengthen helium supply (increased U.S. production, storage/liquefaction) — supportive for longer‑term growth and pricing. Q2 Results Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor resources and transcripts — Multiple analyst notes, earnings call transcript and slide deck are available for deeper review; these are informational but don’t change the near‑term narrative. Earnings Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: AISTech trade show presence — Air Products will showcase low‑carbon iron & steel solutions at AISTech2026 and donate to the AIST Foundation; positive from an ESG/business development angle but more long-term. AISTech2026
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability nuance — Some published summaries note a negative net margin metric (reflecting non‑GAAP adjustments or one‑time items), which is a reminder to vet GAAP vs. adjusted figures and any transient charges when modeling earnings. MarketBeat Earnings Summary

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on APD shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $360.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $318.24.

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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