Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD Shares Sold by Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.

Key Points

• Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. has reduced its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 23.5%, owning 26,733 shares worth approximately $7.88 million after selling 8,224 shares.
• Air Products and Chemicals recently reported earnings per share of $3.09, exceeding estimates, with revenues reaching $3.02 billion, a 1.2% increase from the previous year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, with an ex-dividend date set for October 1st, reflecting an annualized yield of 2.5%.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. trimmed its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 23.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 26,733 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 8,224 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $7,884,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Hamilton Capital LLC grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Hamilton Capital LLC now owns 2,594 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $765,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. West Branch Capital LLC grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 10.2% during the 1st quarter. West Branch Capital LLC now owns 421 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $124,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 1,541 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $454,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,385 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $703,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,499 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $737,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE APD traded up $6.99 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $294.49. 716,381 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,248,133. The business's 50 day moving average is $291.81 and its 200-day moving average is $284.78. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.69 and a 1 year high of $341.14. The company has a market capitalization of $65.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.37, a P/E/G 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.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $3.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.86% and a return on equity of 15.11%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm 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. On average, 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 business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is currently 103.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on APD. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Thursday, May 29th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $290.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $335.07.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total transaction of $397,344.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 8,686 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,539,612.68. This represents a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

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.