Hsbc Holdings PLC Acquires 25,977 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 5.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 466,254 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 25,977 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $115,224,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of APD. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% in the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total transaction of $824,404.64. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.88% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE APD opened at $313.55 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $290.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $279.91. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $229.11 and a twelve month high of $314.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.69 EPS. The company’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, equities analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.22 EPS 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, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.81 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 76.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on APD. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $360.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $338.00 to $341.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $315.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $344.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Wednesday. 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target 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.