North Dakota State Investment Board Makes New Investment in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 7,618 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,882,000.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 3,233.3% in the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Air Products and Chemicals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. 81.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Products and Chemicals Price Performance

APD opened at $291.65 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.43. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $229.11 and a 52-week high of $307.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.94 billion, a PE ratio of 30.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.77. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $293.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $272.57.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The basic materials company reported $3.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.06 by $0.14. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.11% and a net margin of 16.91%.The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.69 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 13.2 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $1.81 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $7.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Air Products and Chemicals’s payout ratio is currently 76.61%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Air Products and Chemicals

In related news, CFO Melissa N. Schaeffer sold 2,714 shares of Air Products and Chemicals stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.76, for a total transaction of $824,404.64. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 14,212 shares in the company, valued at $4,317,037.12. The trade was a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.88% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on APD. UBS Group lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $307.00 to $316.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup boosted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $285.00 to $315.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $315.00 target price on shares of Air Products and Chemicals in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.12.

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.