Founders Financial Securities LLC Increases Stock Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Founders Financial Securities LLC raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 151.1% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 10,272 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,181 shares during the quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $2,537,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted 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 during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $278.37 on Monday. 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 $307.96. The company has a market capitalization of $61.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.74. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $294.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $274.78.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.69 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.81 per share. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 76.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on APD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Mizuho set a $345.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. 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, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.12.

Insider Activity

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 $4,317,037.12. The trade was a 16.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.88% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.