Hantz Financial Services Inc. Increases Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 95.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 23,588 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,543 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $5,827,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wealthquest Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $829,000. Swedbank AB increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 72,272 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $17,853,000 after purchasing an additional 403 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Markel Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 71,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $17,662,000 after purchasing an additional 6,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mizuho Markets Cayman LP purchased a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth $10,774,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on APD shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Berenberg Bank set a $350.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Bank of America upped 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 report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $360.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.12.

Insider Activity

In other 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 approximately $4,317,037.12. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.88% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD stock opened at $289.13 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $294.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $229.11 and a 52 week high of $307.96.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.07 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The business’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.69 EPS. 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. Analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a $1.81 dividend. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.