Kestra Investment Management LLC Has $1.15 Million Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Kestra Investment Management LLC has reduced its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. by 18.7%, holding 3,904 shares valued at approximately $1.15 million after selling 900 shares during the first quarter.
• Several institutional investors increased their holdings, with Dodge & Cox raising its stake by 31.5%, now owning 8.7 million shares worth about $2.58 billion.
• Air Products and Chemicals announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79, representing a 2.5% yield, with a payout ratio of 103.02%.

Kestra Investment Management LLC lowered its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 18.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,904 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 900 shares during the quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,151,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Resources Management Corp CT ADV grew its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 4.0% during the first quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 13,927 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $4,107,000 after purchasing an additional 531 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 6.1% in the first quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 16,940 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $4,996,000 after acquiring an additional 971 shares during the period. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.6% in the first quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 27,891 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $8,226,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 3.1% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 50,142 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $14,788,000 after acquiring an additional 1,517 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 6.1% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 49,435 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $14,571,000 after acquiring an additional 2,840 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

APD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Mizuho boosted their target price 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. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted 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, UBS Group boosted their price target 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $335.07.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 2.4%

APD traded up $6.99 on Thursday, hitting $294.49. 716,381 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,248,133. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.69 and a 12 month high of $341.14. The company has a market cap of $65.54 billion, a PE ratio of 42.37, a PEG ratio of 6.41 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.29. The stock's fifty day moving average is $291.81 and its 200-day moving average is $284.78.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $3.02 billion for 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%.Air Products and Chemicals's revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior 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 predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Air Products and Chemicals 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 transaction, the vice president owned 8,686 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,539,612.68. The trade was a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals 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.