Hall Laurie J Trustee Sells 1,190 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Hall Laurie J Trustee reduced its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. by 13.2% in the first quarter, owning 7,835 shares valued at approximately $2.31 million at the end of the reporting period.
• Several hedge funds, including Ritholtz Wealth Management and GAMMA Investing LLC, have increased their stakes in the company, indicating a growing institutional interest in Air Products and Chemicals.
• Air Products and Chemicals recently reported earnings of $3.09 EPS, surpassing analysts' expectations, and announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share.

Hall Laurie J Trustee reduced its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 13.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,835 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 1,190 shares during the quarter. Hall Laurie J Trustee's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $2,311,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in APD. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% during 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 last quarter. Finally, 1248 Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter worth $39,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 price target for the company. UBS Group raised their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Citigroup raised their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 30th. Mizuho raised their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $335.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total value of $397,344.42. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 8,686 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,539,612.68. This trade represents a 13.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD traded down $1.37 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $287.54. 191,891 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,252,348. The stock has a market cap of $63.99 billion, a PE ratio of 41.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.47 and a beta of 0.82. 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's 50 day simple moving average is $291.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $284.74. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $3.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.95 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 12.86%.Air Products and Chemicals's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.20 EPS. 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 analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

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 paid a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is 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.