Howe & Rusling Inc. Boosts Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Howe & Rusling Inc. boosted its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 27.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 23,105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,031 shares during the period. Howe & Rusling Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $6,712,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $313.55 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a 1 year low of $229.11 and a 1 year high of $314.28. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $290.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $279.91. The stock has a market cap of $69.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.18, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.73.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.06 by $0.14. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The business had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm 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, research analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be paid 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 yield of 2.3%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is 76.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on APD. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $344.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $360.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup lifted their price target 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. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $324.82.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.88% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.