Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Sells 5,767 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management reduced its Air Products and Chemicals stake by 24.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 5,767 shares and leaving it with 18,002 shares valued at about $4.45 million.
• Institutional ownership in APD remains high, with hedge funds and other large investors holding 81.66% of the stock. Several major holders, including Vanguard and Capital Research Global Investors, increased their positions.
• Air Products and Chemicals reported better-than-expected quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, while analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $323.12.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. decreased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 24.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 18,002 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 5,767 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $4,447,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,304,678 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $5,509,702,000 after purchasing an additional 303,944 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 11,766,942 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $3,209,068,000 after purchasing an additional 272,197 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,559,492 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,607,065,000 after purchasing an additional 106,578 shares during the last quarter. Dodge & Cox increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 9,004,892 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,455,814,000 after purchasing an additional 183,492 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 8,870,013 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,419,029,000 after purchasing an additional 609,489 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $315.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $323.12.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Air Products and Chemicals 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 14,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. The trade was a 16.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.88% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD opened at $289.13 on Monday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $229.11 and a 12-month high of $307.96. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $294.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a market cap of $64.38 billion, a PE ratio of 30.60, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.77.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.06 by $0.14. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The business had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business 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 dividend of $1.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is presently 76.61%.

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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