Geneos Wealth Management Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Geneos Wealth Management Inc. reduced its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 9%, holding $4.86 million worth of the company's stock after selling 1,637 shares in the first quarter.
• The company reported $3.09 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding estimates, and its annual dividend of $1.79 per share reflects a 2.5% yield.
• Analyst ratings for Air Products and Chemicals show a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $335.07, after several price upgrades from different firms.

Geneos Wealth Management Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 9.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,466 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 1,637 shares during the quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $4,856,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% in the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Ransom Advisory Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on APD shares. Argus raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. UBS Group boosted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $335.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total value of $397,344.42. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.5%

Air Products and Chemicals stock traded down $1.38 during trading on Friday, hitting $293.14. The company's stock had a trading volume of 985,778 shares, compared to its average volume of 630,758. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.18, a P/E/G ratio of 6.57 and a beta of 0.82. The stock's fifty day moving average is $291.89 and its 200 day moving average is $284.30. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.69 and a 1-year high of $341.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.29.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 12.86%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.20 earnings per share. 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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is currently 103.02%.

Air Products and Chemicals Company 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.