Appleton Partners Inc. MA Raises Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Appleton Partners Inc. MA lifted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 18.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,486 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,600 shares during the quarter. Appleton Partners Inc. MA’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $3,046,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted 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 worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $313.55 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $69.82 billion, a PE ratio of 33.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.73. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $290.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $280.16. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $229.11 and a 1 year high of $314.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.21.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.06 by $0.14. The company 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 firm’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.69 earnings per share. 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. Equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.81 per share. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 76.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on APD shares. Berenberg Bank set a $350.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Monday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings raised Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Mizuho set a $345.00 price objective on Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $324.82.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of Air Products and Chemicals 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 directly owned 14,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. This trade 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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.88% of the company’s stock.

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.