Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD Shares Bought by Kentucky Retirement Systems

Kentucky Retirement Systems lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 25.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,443 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 3,495 shares during the quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $5,067,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,063,906,000. Capital International Investors raised its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 44.2% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 12,792,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $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 shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the 2nd quarter valued at $607,601,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 1,111,378 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew 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 worth $281,258,000 after purchasing an additional 892,793 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Air Products and Chemicals

Here are the key news stories impacting Air Products and Chemicals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted fiscal third-quarter EPS was $3.47, above the roughly $3.34-$3.36 analyst consensus and ahead of the company’s guidance range. Adjusted operating income reached $810 million, supported by higher on-site volumes, pricing and favorable currency effects. APD Q3 Earnings Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Air Products raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $13.39-$13.49, above the prior consensus estimate of $13.22, and issued fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $3.55-$3.65 versus a $3.52 consensus. The raised forecast was a key catalyst for the stock. Air Products FY2026 EPS Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s decision to discontinue the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, an Arizona zero-carbon liquid hydrogen facility and other smaller projects reduces expected fiscal 2026 capital expenditures to approximately $3.5 billion. Investors may view the portfolio reset as improving capital discipline and reducing exposure to costly, lower-return projects. Air Products Reports Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Air Products also announced an electronics-related agreement in Taiwan to build and operate four air-separation units and related gas infrastructure, while finalizing a renewable-ammonia marketing agreement connected to the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project. These initiatives support longer-term growth but are unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Air Products Third Quarter Results and Projects
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP results were sharply negative, with a $6.47 loss per share and a $2.1 billion operating loss, primarily from project and asset-action charges, including a reported $2.9 billion Louisiana-related charge. Revenue of $3.16 billion rose 4.6% year over year but fell short of the approximately $3.20 billion consensus. Air Products Swings to Third-Quarter Loss

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of APD opened at $299.75 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $289.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $286.63. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $229.11 and a twelve month high of $314.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.75 billion, a PE ratio of 31.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.73.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.34 by $0.13. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The business had revenue of $3.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.09 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. Air Products and Chemicals has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.390-13.490 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.550-3.650 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be issued a $1.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 76.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on APD. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group raised their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $326.88.

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.