Scharf Investments LLC Sells 3,910 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Scharf Investments LLC has reduced its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.8% in Q2, now holding 506,600 shares valued at approximately $142.9 million.
• Air Products and Chemicals reported a Q2 EPS of $3.09, surpassing estimates, with revenue of $3.02 billion, a year-over-year increase of 1.2%.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, set to be paid on November 10th, with a 2.5% yield and a dividend payout ratio of 103.02%.

Scharf Investments LLC lessened its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 506,600 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 3,910 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals comprises 4.1% of Scharf Investments LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding. Scharf Investments LLC owned about 0.23% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $142,896,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Wayfinding Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department raised its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% in the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ransom Advisory Ltd acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter worth $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total value of $397,344.42. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 8,686 shares in the company, valued at $2,539,612.68. This trade represents a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock traded down $2.17 during trading on Monday, reaching $287.98. 834,840 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 683,487. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.29. The company has a market cap of $64.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.44, a PEG ratio of 6.47 and a beta of 0.82. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.69 and a 1-year high of $341.14. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $291.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $283.16.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.10. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 12.86%.The firm had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.20 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. 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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 103.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Argus upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 12th. Wall Street Zen raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Mizuho upped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $335.07.

Air Products and Chemicals 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.