Staley Capital Advisers Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Staley Capital Advisers more than doubled its stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter, increasing holdings by 108.2% to 144,032 shares worth about $35.6 million.
• Wall Street sentiment is moderately bullish, with analysts giving APD a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.12, even after several recent target increases and reaffirmed ratings.
• Air Products posted solid quarterly results and a dividend: EPS of $3.20 beat estimates, revenue rose 8.8% year over year, and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share, or $7.24 annually, for a 2.5% yield.

Staley Capital Advisers Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 108.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 144,032 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 74,868 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals accounts for about 1.5% of Staley Capital Advisers Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Staley Capital Advisers Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $35,579,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 2nd quarter worth $607,601,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 644.6% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,031,306 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $281,258,000 after buying an additional 892,793 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 21.6% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,616,305 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,258,678,000 after buying an additional 821,524 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 8,870,013 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,419,029,000 after buying an additional 609,489 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 31.2% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,880,652 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $512,891,000 after buying an additional 447,724 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Mizuho set a $345.00 price target on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $323.12.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 1.6%

Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $295.14 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.43. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $292.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $271.87. The company has a market cap of $65.72 billion, a PE ratio of 31.23, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.77. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $229.11 and a fifty-two week high of $307.96.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.07 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.69 EPS. 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. Equities analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a $1.81 dividend. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is currently 76.61%.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total transaction of $824,404.64. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,317,037.12. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.88% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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