Gabelli Funds LLC Decreases Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Gabelli Funds LLC cut its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 33.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 4,965 shares and leaving it with 9,885 shares valued at about $2.44 million.
• Air Products beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $3.20 versus the $3.06 estimate and revenue of $3.17 billion versus $3.07 billion expected, while also issuing FY 2026 guidance of $13.00 to $13.25 EPS.
• The company continues to reward shareholders with a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share, equal to an annualized yield of 2.5%, even as analysts maintain a generally positive outlook with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.

Gabelli Funds LLC cut its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 33.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,885 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 4,965 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $2,442,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% in the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD opened at $289.13 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.43. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $229.11 and a 52-week high of $307.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.38 billion, a PE ratio of 30.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.77. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $294.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $273.33.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its 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 return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. The business's 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 EPS 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 paid a $1.81 dividend. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 76.61%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 14,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,317,037.12. This represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.88% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on APD shares. Mizuho set a $345.00 price target on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $360.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $323.12.

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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