Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. Trims Holdings in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. $APD

Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc. reduced its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) by 13.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,592 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 701 shares during the period. Richards Merrill & Peterson Inc.’s holdings in Air Products and Chemicals were worth $1,295,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in Air Products and Chemicals during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Air Products and Chemicals in the first quarter worth $27,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 46.7% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 110 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citizens National Bank Trust Department increased its holdings in Air Products and Chemicals by 833.3% in the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 112 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other Air Products and Chemicals news, VP Victoria Brifo sold 1,359 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $292.38, for a total value of $397,344.42. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 8,686 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,539,612.68. This represents a 13.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.41% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $335.00 target price on Air Products and Chemicals in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Argus raised shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 12th. Mizuho lifted their target price on Air Products and Chemicals from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Air Products and Chemicals from $325.00 to $308.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Air Products and Chemicals from $320.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $330.00.

Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD stock opened at $255.11 on Friday. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.69 and a 52 week high of $341.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The business has a 50 day moving average of $278.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $279.04. The company has a market cap of $56.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.71, a PEG ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.83.

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $3.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $3.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.95 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a net margin of 12.86% and a return on equity of 15.11%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.20 earnings per share. Air Products and Chemicals has set its FY 2025 guidance at 11.900-12.100 EPS. Q4 2025 guidance at 3.270-3.470 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 12.69 EPS for the current year.

Air Products and Chemicals Company Profile

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, equipment, and related services in the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, India, and internationally. The company produces atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, and argon; process gases, such as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and syngas; and specialty gases for customers in various industries, including refining, chemical, manufacturing, electronics, energy production, medical, food, and metals.