Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Raises Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Generali Asset Management SPA SGR increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 66.3%, now owning 24,039 shares valued at approximately $6.78 million.
• Brokerages have varied opinions on Air Products and Chemicals, with Citigroup lowering its price target to $308, while Wells Fargo raised it to $345, indicating a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".
• The firm recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, with a payout ratio of 103.02%, indicating a solid return for investors despite high payout levels.

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 66.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 24,039 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 9,586 shares during the quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $6,780,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 46.7% in the second quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 110 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citizens National Bank Trust Department grew its stake 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 worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on APD. Argus raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 12th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $325.00 to $308.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 6th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $330.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total transaction of $397,344.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 8,686 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,539,612.68. The trade was a 13.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE APD opened at $257.44 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $283.02 and a 200 day moving average of $280.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.43 and a beta of 0.83. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.69 and a 12-month high of $341.14.

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

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is currently 103.02%.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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.

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