Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. Boosts Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 71,164 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,370 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $19,408,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 14.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,260 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $945,000 after purchasing an additional 412 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $245,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 23.7% during the second quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,791 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,069,000 after acquiring an additional 727 shares during the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 27.8% in the 2nd quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,444 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $407,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares during the period. Finally, Daymark Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Air Products and Chemicals by 109.6% in the 2nd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,642 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,591,000 after purchasing an additional 2,950 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.66% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In other news, Director Ridge Lp Mantle sold 70,175 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.21, for a total value of $19,944,436.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 93,499 shares in the company, valued at $26,573,350.79. This trade represents a 42.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.88% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:APD opened at $276.27 on Friday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $229.11 and a 52 week high of $321.47. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $266.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $267.28. The company has a market cap of $61.51 billion, a P/E ratio of -182.96, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.04 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.05 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a positive return on equity of 15.77% and a negative net margin of 2.73%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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. Research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 earnings per share for the current 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 given a dividend of $1.81 per share. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. This is an increase from Air Products and Chemicals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is presently -474.17%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APD has been the topic of several research reports. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Monday, February 2nd. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $282.00 price target on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $255.00 price objective on Air Products and Chemicals in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price 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. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $295.88.

Air Products and Chemicals Company 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.