Ally Financial Inc. Raises Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Ally Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 28.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 23,000 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,100 shares during the period. Air Products and Chemicals accounts for about 0.7% of Ally Financial Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Ally Financial Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $5,681,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of APD. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,063,906,000. Capital International Investors raised its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,792,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,160,023,000 after buying an additional 3,922,567 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $607,601,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 70.2% during the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,694,659 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $665,609,000 after buying an additional 1,111,378 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 644.6% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,031,306 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $281,258,000 after buying an additional 892,793 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $281.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.43. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $292.68 and a two-hundred day moving average of $276.27. The company has a market capitalization of $62.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.81, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.74. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $229.11 and a fifty-two week high of $307.96.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.06 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $3.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.Air Products and Chemicals’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $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. On average, 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on APD. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Mizuho set a $345.00 price objective on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $338.00 to $341.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.12.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 owned 14,212 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,317,037.12. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.88% of the company’s stock.

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.