Wedbush Securities Inc. Increases Stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Wedbush Securities Inc. raised its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 64.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 9,031 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,535 shares during the quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $2,463,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Abound Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 292.3% in the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 228.1% in the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 105 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 169.6% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 124 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

NYSE APD opened at $291.88 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $259.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $267.96. The company has a market capitalization of $64.99 billion, a PE ratio of -193.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 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. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.23.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.04 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a positive return on equity of 15.77% and a negative net margin of 2.73%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.86 EPS. 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. As a group, 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 firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $1.81 per share. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is -474.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on APD shares. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $272.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $350.00 to $325.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $315.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $295.88.

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.