Air Products and Chemicals (APD) Surpasses Q4 Earnings Estimates

Core Viewpoint - Air Products and Chemicals (APD) reported quarterly earnings of $3.56 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.44 per share, and showing an increase from $3.15 per share a year ago [1][2]. Financial Performance - The earnings surprise for the quarter was 3.49%, with the company previously expected to post earnings of $3.04 per share but actually reporting $3.20, resulting in a surprise of 5.26% [2]. - The company posted revenues of $3.19 billion for the quarter ended September 2024, which was a slight miss against the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.16%, and remained unchanged compared to the previous year's revenues of $3.19 billion [3]. Stock Performance and Outlook - Air Products and Chemicals shares have increased approximately 12% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 24.3% [4]. - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $3.26 on revenues of $3.15 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $13.44 on revenues of $12.76 billion [8]. Industry Context - The Chemical - Diversified industry, to which Air Products and Chemicals belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 18% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges ahead [9].