Korea Investment CORP grew its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 2.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 147,540 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,438 shares during the quarter. Korea Investment CORP owned about 0.07% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $43,512,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in APD. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department lifted its position in 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 worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 525.9% during the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 169 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,560.0% during the 1st quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 183 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.
Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance
NYSE APD traded up $5.4990 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $299.0190. The stock had a trading volume of 765,247 shares, compared to its average volume of 930,976. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.69 and a 52-week high of $341.14. The company has a market cap of $66.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.02, a P/E/G ratio of 6.55 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $288.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $286.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.
Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.10. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 12.86%.The firm had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.20 EPS. Air Products and Chemicals's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. 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 forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be paid a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.02%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of research firms have weighed in on APD. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group increased 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 increased 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 increased 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 increased 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 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 given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $335.07.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Air Products and Chemicals
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the firm'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 value of $397,344.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 8,686 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,539,612.68. This trade represents a 13.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.
About Air Products and Chemicals
(
Free Report)
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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