Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD Shares Purchased by Wedbush Securities Inc.

Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 64.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. 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 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Abound Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 292.3% during the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD opened at $291.88 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $259.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $267.96. The stock has a market cap 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 quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.04 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.05 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a negative net margin of 2.73% and a positive return on equity of 15.77%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $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 forecast that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be issued a $1.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -474.17%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on APD shares. Evercore reduced their target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $375.00 to $325.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup increased their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $272.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Argus dropped their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $317.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $295.88.

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.