RiverFront Investment Group LLC Acquires Shares of 1,943 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

RiverFront Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 1,943 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $480,000.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of APD. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 756 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $187,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3.7% during the third quarter. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC now owns 1,085 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $296,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.0% during the third quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,239 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,156,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC now owns 1,423 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $353,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, Patton Fund Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc. now owns 863 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $213,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total value 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 trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.88% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:APD opened at $293.39 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $65.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.05, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.77. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $229.11 and a 52 week high of $307.96. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $293.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $272.26.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. 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. Research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company 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 $1.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on APD shares. Mizuho set a $345.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.12.

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.