Viking Fund Management LLC Reduces Position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Viking Fund Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 57.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,000 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 15,000 shares during the period. Viking Fund Management LLC’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $2,717,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in APD. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 292.3% during the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Air Products and Chemicals

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, Director Ridge Lp Mantle sold 70,175 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.21, for a total transaction of $19,944,436.75. Following the sale, the director owned 93,499 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,573,350.79. This trade represents a 42.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.88% of the company’s stock.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Up 2.8%

NYSE:APD opened at $286.52 on Wednesday. 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, Inc. has a 1-year low of $229.11 and a 1-year high of $301.11. The company has a 50-day moving average of $276.49 and a 200 day moving average of $265.40. The firm has a market cap of $63.80 billion, a PE ratio of -189.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.88.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.04 by $0.12. Air Products and Chemicals had a negative net margin of 2.73% and a positive return on equity of 15.77%. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.86 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, research analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Air Products and Chemicals Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.81 per share. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. This represents a $7.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. Air Products and Chemicals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -474.17%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

APD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded Air Products and Chemicals from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $270.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $315.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $282.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $300.88.

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.