OP Asset Management Ltd Acquires New Shares in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• OP Asset Management initiated a new position in Air Products and Chemicals, buying 22,607 shares worth about $6.57 million in the first quarter. Institutional investors continue to own a large majority of the stock, with ownership at 81.66%.
• Air Products and Chemicals reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $3.20 versus the $3.06 estimate and revenue of $3.17 billion versus $3.07 billion expected. The company also raised guidance, with FY 2026 EPS forecast at 13.00–13.25.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share, or $7.24 annualized, yielding about 2.6%. Meanwhile, analysts remain generally positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $323.12.

OP Asset Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 22,607 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $6,567,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% in the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total value of $824,404.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 14,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. The trade was a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.88% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 0.3%

APD stock opened at $279.44 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average is $290.01 and its 200 day moving average is $277.75. The stock has a market cap of $62.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $229.11 and a 1-year high of $307.96.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.06 by $0.14. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The business had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.69 earnings per share. Air Products and Chemicals's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.23 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, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.81 per share. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is currently 76.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on APD shares. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Mizuho set a $345.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $360.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $323.12.

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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