MidFirst Bank Invests $1.57 Million in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 6,354 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,570,000.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the fourth quarter worth $1,063,906,000. Capital International Investors lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,792,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,160,023,000 after purchasing an additional 3,922,567 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP acquired a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals during the 2nd quarter valued at $607,601,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 70.2% in the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,694,659 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $665,609,000 after acquiring 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 holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 644.6% in the third 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 valued at $281,258,000 after acquiring an additional 892,793 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on APD shares. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Mizuho set a $345.00 price target on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.12.

Air Products and Chemicals Trading Down 0.1%

Air Products and Chemicals stock opened at $280.05 on Friday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $229.11 and a 52-week high of $307.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $62.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.63, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $291.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $277.04. 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 (NYSE:APD) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.06 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion for 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%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous 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. Sell-side analysts expect that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued 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 payout ratio is presently 76.61%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 $4,317,037.12. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 1.88% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.