Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc. Sells 2,500 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 12.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 18,100 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,500 shares during the quarter. Air Products and Chemicals comprises approximately 0.7% of Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $4,471,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $1,063,906,000. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,792,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,160,023,000 after purchasing an additional 3,922,567 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter valued at approximately $607,601,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 70.2% in the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,694,659 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $665,609,000 after purchasing an additional 1,111,378 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 644.6% in 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 valued at $281,258,000 after purchasing an additional 892,793 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $281.69 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $62.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $292.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $276.27. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $229.11 and a one year high of $307.96.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.06 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.07 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The company’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $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. Analysts forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

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 $1.81 dividend. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 76.61%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total transaction of $824,404.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares in the company, valued at $4,317,037.12. This represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.88% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Mizuho set a $345.00 target price on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.12.

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.