KCM Investment Advisors LLC Sells 1,764 Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

KCM Investment Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 4.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 39,899 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 1,764 shares during the period. KCM Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $11,590,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of APD. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter valued at $1,063,906,000. Capital International Investors increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% in 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 during the period. Viking Global Investors LP bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter worth $607,601,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 70.2% during the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,694,659 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $665,609,000 after purchasing an additional 1,111,378 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 644.6% during 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 purchasing an additional 892,793 shares during the period. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 14,212 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,317,037.12. The trade was a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.88% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of 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. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $344.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Mizuho set a $345.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One equities 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $326.88.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Down 1.7%

NYSE:APD opened at $292.90 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.21. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $229.11 and a 1-year high of $314.87. The company has a 50-day moving average of $289.25 and a 200 day moving average of $285.92. The firm has a market cap of $65.22 billion, a PE ratio of 30.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.73.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its earnings results 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. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 16.11%. The business had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.69 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.81 per share. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.61%.

Air Products and Chemicals 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.