Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 203,879 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Principal Financial Group Inc. lowered its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 10.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,763,578 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 203,879 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $480,973,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 10.4% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 57,639 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $16,258,000 after purchasing an additional 5,430 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc lifted its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 113,027 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,903,000 after purchasing an additional 4,492 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 7.4% during the second quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 673,400 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $189,939,000 after buying an additional 46,200 shares in the last quarter. Platform Technology Partners boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 683.0% during the 3rd quarter. Platform Technology Partners now owns 7,164 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,954,000 after acquiring an additional 6,249 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS boosted its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 80,353 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $22,664,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 6.5%

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $272.56 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $254.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $268.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The stock has a market cap of $60.67 billion, a PE ratio of -153.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.87. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $229.11 and a 12-month high of $341.14.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.04 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a positive return on equity of 15.18% and a negative net margin of 3.28%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.86 EPS. Air Products and Chemicals has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.100 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 12.850-13.150 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.81 per share. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently -402.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on APD. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $325.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $250.00 target price (down from $330.00) on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Argus cut their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $317.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $245.00 to $272.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $288.00.

Key Stories Impacting Air Products and Chemicals

Here are the key news stories impacting Air Products and Chemicals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS $3.16 vs. $3.04 expected and revenue $3.10B vs. $3.05B, with margins benefiting from lower costs and pricing. This beat is the primary driver of the rally. APD Q1 Earnings Beat on Lower Costs
• Positive Sentiment: Management maintained FY‑2026 guidance (EPS 12.85–13.15) and set Q2 guidance (2.95–3.10), signaling confidence in the business and limiting downside from the quarter. Air Products Reports Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate wins and shareholder actions: increased quarterly dividend to $1.81 (44th consecutive annual raise) and new/ongoing contracts including >$140M in NASA liquid‑hydrogen awards and progress on low‑emission ammonia deals — supportive for long‑term revenue visibility. Air Products Reports Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance relative to consensus is mixed — the company’s FY and Q2 ranges are essentially maintained but sit near or slightly below some street estimates (e.g., consensus Q2 ~3.03; FY consensus cited ~12.93), which could cap upside until guidance traction is confirmed.
• Neutral Sentiment: Planned capital expenditures remain high (~$4.0B for FY‑2026). That supports growth projects (H2, ammonia, hydrogen infrastructure) but may constrain free cash flow near term. Air Products Reports Fiscal 2026 First Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Relative performance: some coverage noted APD underperformed peers recently, a reminder of potential short‑term volatility if sector momentum fades. Air Products Underperforms Peers

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.