Washington Trust Advisors Inc. Has $10.99 Million Stock Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Key Points

• Washington Trust Advisors cut its Air Products and Chemicals stake by 32.3% in the fourth quarter, ending with 44,506 shares valued at about $10.99 million.
• Air Products reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $3.20 versus estimates of $3.06 and revenue of $3.17 billion, up 8.8% year over year. The company also raised guidance, targeting FY 2026 EPS of $13.00 to $13.25.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.81 per share, payable August 10, implying an annualized dividend of $7.24 and a 2.4% yield. Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $323.12.

Washington Trust Advisors Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD - Free Report) by 32.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 44,506 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 21,239 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals makes up 0.8% of Washington Trust Advisors Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Washington Trust Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $10,994,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 14.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,260 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $945,000 after buying an additional 412 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $245,000. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 197.6% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 281,861 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $79,498,000 after buying an additional 187,142 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.1% during the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 103,777 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $29,271,000 after buying an additional 2,171 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 52.5% during the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,474 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,873,000 after buying an additional 2,229 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, Director Ridge Lp Mantle sold 70,175 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.21, for a total value of $19,944,436.75. Following the transaction, the director owned 93,499 shares in the company, valued at $26,573,350.79. The trade was a 42.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total value of $824,404.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. This represents a 16.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 1.88% of the company's stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $295.52 on Friday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $229.11 and a 12-month high of $307.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The business's 50-day moving average price is $289.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $270.03. The stock has a market cap of $65.81 billion, a PE ratio of 31.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.77.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.06 by $0.14. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.69 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals's payout ratio is currently 76.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on APD shares. Berenberg Bank set a $350.00 target price on Air Products and Chemicals and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. BMO Capital Markets raised Air Products and Chemicals from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $360.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Mizuho set a $345.00 target price on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $315.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Monday, February 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.12.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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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