USS Investment Management Ltd Sells 10,200 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• USS Investment Management Ltd reduced its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. by 22.2%, selling 10,200 shares and holding 35,673 shares valued at $10.5 million.
• Dodge & Cox significantly increased its stake by 31.5%, now owning approximately $2.58 billion worth of the company's shares, highlighting active institutional interest.
• Air Products and Chemicals announced a $1.79 per share dividend to be paid on November 10th, with a current dividend yield of 2.5%.

USS Investment Management Ltd lowered its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 22.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,673 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 10,200 shares during the quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $10,516,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dodge & Cox boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 31.5% in the 1st quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,759,722 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,583,417,000 after purchasing an additional 2,096,568 shares during the period. Mantle Ridge LP bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth about $1,191,344,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,096,277 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $913,154,000 after purchasing an additional 43,695 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,397,210 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $695,287,000 after purchasing an additional 34,676 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 159.2% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,725,762 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $508,962,000 after purchasing an additional 1,059,970 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE APD opened at $289.70 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $64.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.68, a P/E/G ratio of 6.47 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.69 and a 1-year high of $341.14. The stock's 50-day moving average is $291.70 and its 200 day moving average is $284.89.

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

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total transaction of $397,344.42. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 8,686 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,539,612.68. This trade represents a 13.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on APD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Mizuho raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $335.07.

Air Products and Chemicals Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.