Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA Has $15.34 Million Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA increased its stake in Air Products by 22.3% to 62,116 shares worth about $15.34 million, making APD roughly 1.0% of the firm's holdings and its 29th largest position.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target of $308.78; recent moves include JPMorgan upgrading to overweight and Berenberg issuing a buy rating with a $350 target.
• Company developments include a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share (annualized $7.24, ~2.4% yield) and a planned ASU in Cocoa, Florida for the space launch market, but Air Products also faces potential litigation from a Portnoy Law Firm investigation and a large insider sale of 70,175 shares.

Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 22.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 62,116 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,310 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals makes up about 1.0% of Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA's holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $15,344,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% during the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the third quarter valued at $34,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on APD. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $282.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Berenberg Bank set a $350.00 price target on Air Products and Chemicals and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their price target for the company from $280.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $308.78.

Key Stories Impacting Air Products and Chemicals

Here are the key news stories impacting Air Products and Chemicals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on APD from $325 to $338 and kept an "outperform" rating, signaling stronger analyst confidence and ~12% upside vs. the current level; this can support upside momentum. RBC Raises Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Berenberg upgraded APD (reported 4/23), another analyst endorsement that can attract buyers. Berenberg Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America published a bullish forecast for APD's price appreciation (reported 4/23), adding to positive analyst coverage that may support the stock. Bank of America Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Air Products declared a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share (record July 1, payable Aug. 10), which reinforces cash return to shareholders and can support investor demand for the stock. Dividend Declaration
• Positive Sentiment: Air Products plans to build, own and operate a new air separation unit (ASU) in Cocoa, Florida to supply the growing space launch industry — a strategic, end-market driven capacity expansion that should support longer‑term revenue growth tied to aerospace demand. ASU in Florida Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks previewed the upcoming earnings report, noting Wall Street expects earnings growth but suggesting APD may lack the setup for an earnings beat — this raises uncertainty ahead of results and could mute volatility depending on the actual print. Zacks Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: The Portnoy Law Firm announced an investigation into possible securities fraud involving Air Products, indicating potential litigation risk and headline-driven downside if allegations escalate. Portnoy Law Firm Investigation

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, Director Ridge Lp Mantle sold 70,175 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.21, for a total value of $19,944,436.75. Following the transaction, the director owned 93,499 shares in the company, valued at $26,573,350.79. The trade was a 42.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 1.88% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE APD opened at $302.21 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $286.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $267.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.23. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $229.11 and a one year high of $304.57. The company has a market capitalization of $67.29 billion, a P/E ratio of -200.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.80.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.04 by $0.12. Air Products and Chemicals had a positive return on equity of 15.77% and a negative net margin of 2.73%.The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.86 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Air Products and Chemicals has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.100 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 12.850-13.150 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

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 paid a $1.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is -476.82%.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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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