Vident Advisory LLC Increases Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Vident Advisory LLC increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 38.8%, owning 7,278 shares worth $2,147,000 as of the end of the 1st quarter.
• Analysts have varying ratings on Air Products and Chemicals, with a consensus of a "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $335.07.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, set to be paid on November 10th, reflecting an annualized yield of 2.4%.

Vident Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 38.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,278 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 2,033 shares during the quarter. Vident Advisory LLC's holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $2,147,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 0.5% during the first quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 133,751 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $39,446,000 after buying an additional 712 shares during the last quarter. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at $231,000. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at $55,000. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.3% during the first quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ now owns 72,325 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $21,330,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at $64,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total transaction of $397,344.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 8,686 shares in the company, valued at $2,539,612.68. This represents a 13.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.41% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock traded down $0.27 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $289.70. The stock had a trading volume of 544,532 shares, compared to its average volume of 752,737. The stock's 50 day moving average is $291.70 and its 200 day moving average is $285.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.47 billion, a PE ratio of 41.68, a PEG ratio of 6.47 and a beta of 0.82. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.69 and a twelve month high of $341.14. 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 (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.86% and a return on equity of 15.11%. The company's revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.20 earnings per share. 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. Equities analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's dividend payout ratio is 103.02%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APD has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $328.00 to $344.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 30th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, June 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $355.00 target price for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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.