Valued at a market cap of $58.7 billion, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD) provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, equipment, and related services. The Allentown, Pennsylvania-based company is expected to announce its fiscal Q1 earnings for 2026 in the near future.
Before this event, analysts expect this chemical company to report a profit of $3.05 per share, up 6.6% from $2.86 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has met or topped Wall Street’s bottom-line estimates in two of the last four quarters, while missing on two other occasions. In Q3, its EPS of $3.39 fell short of the forecasted figure by a slight margin.
For fiscal 2026, ending in September, analysts expect APD to report a profit of $12.95 per share, up 7.7% from $12.03 per share in fiscal 2025. Furthermore, its EPS is expected to grow 6.7% year-over-year to $13.82 in fiscal 2027.
Shares of APD have declined 7.6% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming both the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 17.7% return and the State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLB) 14.7% uptick over the same time period.
On Nov. 4, APD’s shares gained 8.9% after its Q4 earnings release. Mainly due to lower volumes, the company reported a marginal year-over-year decrease in its total revenue to $3.2 billion. Meanwhile, its adjusted EPS also fell 4.8% from the prior-year quarter to $3.39. However, its selling and administrative expenses dropped 3.9% from the same period last year, reflecting productivity gains and strong cost control, which helped bolster investor confidence.
Wall Street analysts are moderately optimistic about APD’s stock, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 23 analysts covering the stock, 10 recommend "Strong Buy," one indicates a “Moderate Buy,” and 12 suggest "Hold.” The mean price target for APD is $291, indicating a 10.3% potential upside from the current levels.
On the date of publication, Neharika Jain did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
