Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the seventeen ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $325.8235.

Several analysts have commented on APD shares. Berenberg Bank set a $350.00 price objective on Air Products and Chemicals and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Citigroup increased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased 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 report on Tuesday, May 5th.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the business’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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 14,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. The trade was a 16.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.88% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Air Products and Chemicals

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $297.56 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $289.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $283.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.43. Air Products and Chemicals has a fifty-two week low of $229.11 and a fifty-two week high of $314.87. The company has a market cap of $66.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 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 return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.07 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue 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 predict that Air Products and Chemicals will post 13.22 earnings per share 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. 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 2.4%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 76.61%.

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.