Groupama Asset Managment Takes $525,000 Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Groupama Asset Management invested $525,000 in Air Products and Chemicals, acquiring 1,796 shares in the first quarter, highlighting strong institutional interest in the company.
• Analysts have been optimistic about Air Products, with firms like Citigroup and Mizuho raising target prices to between $320 and $325, indicating a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."
• Air Products and Chemicals announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79, representing a 2.4% yield, with a declared dividend payout ratio of 103.02%.

Groupama Asset Managment purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 1,796 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $525,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% in the 1st 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. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% in the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3,560.0% in the 1st quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 183 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of APD stock traded down $0.19 on Tuesday, reaching $293.98. 236,269 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,287,781. The stock has a market cap of $65.43 billion, a PE ratio of 42.32, a P/E/G ratio of 6.68 and a beta of 0.81. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $243.69 and a one year high of $341.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $289.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $286.23.

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 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 12.86%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup upped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 30th. Mizuho upped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective 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. Barclays lowered their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $355.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $335.07.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the vice president owned 8,686 shares in the company, valued at $2,539,612.68. The trade was a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.