Strs Ohio Lowers Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Strs Ohio cut its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 4.8% in the first quarter, selling 9,934 shares and leaving it with 196,907 shares valued at about $57.2 million.
• Insider selling and heavy institutional ownership were also noted, including CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer selling 2,714 shares; overall, hedge funds and other institutions own 81.66% of the stock.
• Air Products and Chemicals beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reported $3.20 EPS on $3.17 billion in revenue, and raised guidance for FY 2026 while maintaining a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share.

Strs Ohio decreased its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 4.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 196,907 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 9,934 shares during the period. Strs Ohio owned approximately 0.09% of Air Products and Chemicals worth $57,200,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% in the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total value 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. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.88% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

APD opened at $313.55 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $69.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.18, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.73. The company's 50 day moving average is $289.76 and its 200 day moving average is $279.68. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $229.11 and a 12-month high of $314.28.

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 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 analysts' expectations of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.69 earnings per share. The firm's revenue 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.23 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is presently 76.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on APD. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Mizuho set a $345.00 price target on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $344.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Wednesday. One investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $324.82.

Air Products and Chemicals 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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