Earnings Preview: What to Expect From Air Products and Chemicals' Report

Core Viewpoint - Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD) is a significant player in the atmospheric and specialty gases market, with a market capitalization of $58.7 billion, and is set to announce its fiscal Q1 earnings for 2026 soon [1] Financial Performance - Analysts anticipate APD will report a profit of $3.05 per share for fiscal Q1 2026, reflecting a 6.6% increase from $2.86 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For the full fiscal year 2026, ending in September, expected earnings per share (EPS) is projected to be $12.95, which is a 7.7% increase from $12.03 in fiscal 2025, with further growth to $13.82 expected in fiscal 2027 [3] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, APD shares have declined by 7.6%, underperforming the S&P 500 Index's return of 17.7% and the State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF's increase of 14.7% [4] - Following the Q4 earnings release, APD's shares rose by 8.9%, despite a slight year-over-year revenue decrease to $3.2 billion and a 4.8% drop in adjusted EPS to $3.39 [5] Analyst Ratings - Wall Street analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" rating for APD, with 10 out of 23 analysts recommending "Strong Buy," one suggesting "Moderate Buy," and 12 advising "Hold." The average price target for APD is $291, indicating a potential upside of 10.3% from current levels [6]