Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) currently trades at $140.99 which is about -0.68% lower than the 52-week high of $150.45. The trading volume at ready counter moved to 2.72M shares as compared to 1.41M shares average traded volume. The stock failed to get pushed above the $141.83 barrier, the intraday high, after opening at $140.10. Analysts have a consensus target price of $151.79 in the 12-month period. Its market capitalization has now reached to $29.26B.

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) was dropped to Underweight from Equal Weight at Barclays. It has earned a consensus Strong buy rating, according to Zacks Investment Research. No analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, 5 have assigned a hold rating, Zero says it’s a buy and 8 have assigned a strong buy rating to the company.

Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. (APD) on January 27, 2017 reported GAAP net income from continuing operations of $252 million, down 10 percent versus the prior year, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations of $1.15, down 11 percent versus the prior year, for its fiscal first quarter ended December 31, 2016.

For the quarter, on a non-GAAP basis, adjusted net income from continuing operations of $322 million was up 10 percent versus prior year, and adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.47 was up nine percent versus prior year.

On a GAAP basis, the effective tax rate in the quarter was 23.3 percent. The adjusted effective tax rate in the quarter was 21.2 percent, lower than it has been recently due to the MT separation, new accounting for share-based compensation, and one-time adjustments.

First quarter sales of $1,883 million increased one percent from the prior year, as two percent higher volumes and two percent favorable energy pass-through were partially offset by three percent unfavorable currency. The volume increase was driven by strength in Industrial Gases – Asia and continued progress on the Jazan project. Pricing was flat with the prior year.

For the quarter, on a GAAP basis, operating income of $328 million decreased 12 percent and operating margin of 17.4 percent decreased 260 basis points versus prior year.

Adjusted operating income of $408 million increased six percent, and adjusted EBITDA of $652 million increased three percent over the prior year. Adjusted operating margin of 21.7 percent improved 110 basis points and adjusted EBITDA margin of 34.7 percent improved 80 basis points over the prior year. GAAP ROCE of 10.9 percent increased 130 basis points over the prior year. Adjusted ROCE increased 180 basis points to 12.7 percent. Productivity actions drove these results.

Commenting on the results for the quarter, Seifi Ghasemi, chairman, president and chief executive officer, said, “This was another quarter of strong operating performance by our dedicated employees who are making Air Products the safest and most profitable industrial gases company in the world. We increased adjusted EPS by nine percent over the previous year, improved both adjusted operating and adjusted EBITDA margins, and increased our adjusted ROCE by 180 basis points to 12.7 percent.