Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD Shares Acquired by ING Groep NV

ING Groep NV increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 4,800.4% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 48,171 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 47,188 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $13,137,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,020,081,000. Viking Global Investors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $607,601,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 268.7% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 822,589 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $232,019,000 after acquiring an additional 599,513 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 13.3% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,794,781 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,070,356,000 after purchasing an additional 444,855 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 43.3% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,432,928 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $404,172,000 after purchasing an additional 432,770 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of APD opened at $293.13 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $258.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $267.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.27 billion, a P/E ratio of -194.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.87. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $229.11 and a 1-year high of $321.47.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.04 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a negative net margin of 2.73% and a positive return on equity of 15.77%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.86 earnings per share. 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. Analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.81 per share. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. This is a positive change from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio is presently -474.17%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $272.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $315.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Bank of America raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $275.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Argus cut their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $317.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $295.88.

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.