Markel Group Inc. Buys 4,000 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Markel Group Inc. boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 5.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 75,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the period. Markel Group Inc.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $21,932,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,063,906,000. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,792,580 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $3,160,023,000 after purchasing an additional 3,922,567 shares during the period. Viking Global Investors LP acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 2nd quarter valued at $607,601,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 70.2% during the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,694,659 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $665,609,000 after buying an additional 1,111,378 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 644.6% during the third quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,031,306 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $281,258,000 after buying an additional 892,793 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD stock traded up $3.69 during trading on Friday, reaching $299.54. 1,349,476 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,547,647. The company has a 50-day moving average of $289.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $281.93. The company has a market capitalization of $66.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.73. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $229.11 and a twelve month high of $314.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.21.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.06 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.07 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.69 earnings per share. Air Products and Chemicals has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.250 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.250-3.350 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.81 dividend. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is presently 76.61%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total transaction of $824,404.64. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 14,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.88% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $338.00 to $341.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $360.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $325.82.

Air Products and Chemicals Company Profile

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc is a global supplier of industrial gases and related equipment and services, headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company produces and delivers atmospheric gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon, as well as specialty and process gases used across a wide range of industrial applications. Air Products designs, builds and operates gas production facilities, merchant distribution networks and on-site gas systems for customers that require reliable, high-purity gases and integrated supply solutions.

The company's product and service portfolio includes packaged and bulk gas supply, pipeline distribution, on-site generation, gas handling and storage equipment, and engineered systems for gas liquefaction and purification.

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