With a market cap of $62.3 billion, Air Merchandise and Chemical substances, Inc. (APD) is a world provider of atmospheric, course of, and specialty gases, serving a variety of industries together with vitality, chemical substances, manufacturing, electronics, meals, and healthcare throughout the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Center East, and India. It additionally designs and manufactures superior gear for air separation, hydrocarbon processing, pure fuel liquefaction, and liquid hydrogen and helium storage and transport.
Shares of the Allentown, Pennsylvania-based firm have underperformed the broader market over the previous 52 weeks. APD inventory has declined 11.2% over this time-frame, whereas the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has gained 11.8%. Nevertheless, the inventory has returned 13.3% on a YTD foundation, outpacing SPX’s marginal dip.
Wanting nearer, shares of the commercial gases large have lagged behind the State Road Supplies Choose Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLB) 18.3% improve over the previous 52 weeks.
Shares of Air Merchandise and Chemical substances surged 6.4% on Jan. 30 after the corporate reported fiscal Q1 2026 adjusted EPS of $3.16, up 10% year-over-year and properly above each Wall Road expectations and the highest finish of its personal steerage. Traders additionally reacted positively to sturdy working efficiency, with adjusted working revenue rising 12% to $757 million, working margin increasing to 24.4%, and income climbing 6% to $3.1 billion, all reflecting resilience within the core industrial fuel enterprise. Extra confidence got here from administration sustaining full-year adjusted EPS steerage of $12.85 – $13.15.
For the fiscal 12 months ending in September 2026, analysts count on APD’s adjusted EPS to rise 8.2% year-over-year to $13.01. The corporate’s earnings shock historical past is combined. It beat the consensus estimates in two of the final 4 quarters whereas lacking on two different events.
Among the many 23 analysts masking the inventory, the consensus score is a “Average Purchase.” That’s primarily based on 10 “Sturdy Purchase” rankings, one “Average Purchase,” and 12 “Holds”
On Feb. 2, Wells Fargo analyst Michael Sison raised the value goal on Air Merchandise and Chemical substances to $270 and maintained an “Equal Weight” score.
