Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Makes New Investment in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Fjarde AP Fonden opened a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in Q1, buying 23,330 shares worth about $6.8 million.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $3.20 beating estimates and revenue of $3.17 billion topping expectations; revenue rose 8.8% year over year.
• Air Products also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share, giving it an annualized payout of $7.24 and a yield of about 2.3%.

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 23,330 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $6,777,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% in the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total value of $824,404.64. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,317,037.12. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.88% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:APD opened at $313.55 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a market cap of $69.82 billion, a PE ratio of 33.18, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.73. The company's fifty day moving average is $290.10 and its 200 day moving average is $280.16. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $229.11 and a 52 week high of $314.28.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.69 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.81 per share. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is currently 76.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APD has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Berenberg Bank set a $350.00 price objective on Air Products and Chemicals and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Bank of America increased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group lifted their target price 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, May 1st. Mizuho set a $345.00 target price on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $338.00 to $341.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $324.82.

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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