Air Products & Chemicals Inc. (NYSE:APD) stock surged more than 9% on Tuesday after the company scrapped several clean-energy projects and shifted its focus toward higher-return investments.
Investors appeared to welcome the move, viewing the project cancellations as a step toward stronger capital discipline and improved long-term returns.
Air Products Scraps Louisiana Clean Energy Project
Air Products said Tuesday it will not proceed with its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex after determining the project no longer met its return criteria.
The decision will result in pre-tax charges of up to $2.9 billion, or about $2.2 billion after tax, in the company’s fiscal third quarter of 2026, primarily for asset write-downs and contract terminations.
The company will also discontinue a zero-carbon liquid hydrogen facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, and several smaller clean-energy distribution projects, citing weak commercial conditions, project-specific economic challenges and slower-than-expected growth in hydrogen-for-mobility markets.
Separately, Air Products said it is finalizing a marketing and distribution agreement with Yara International ASA for renewable ammonia from the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project in Saudi Arabia. The company said the agreement is independent of the Louisiana project decision.
Technical Analysis
Tuesday’s rally pushed Air Products further above its key moving averages. The stock traded about 5.8% above its 20-day simple moving average of $280.95 and roughly 8.6% above its 200-day SMA of $273.66, reinforcing the longer-term uptrend.
Momentum also improved. The moving average convergence/divergence indicator remained above its signal line with a positive histogram, suggesting buying pressure continues to strengthen.
However, the 20-day SMA remains below the 50-day SMA, indicating short-term momentum has not fully confirmed the breakout.
The next resistance level sits near $307.50, just below the 52-week high of $307.96. Initial support is around $274.50, close to the 200-day moving average.
Earnings And Analyst Outlook
Air Products is expected to report fiscal third-quarter results on or around July 30.
Wall Street expects earnings of $3.34 per share, up from $3.09 a year earlier, on revenue of $3.19 billion, compared with $3.02 billion in the prior-year quarter.
The stock trades at about 28.6 times forward earnings, reflecting a premium valuation. Analysts maintain a consensus Buy rating with an average price forecast of $321.44. Recent analyst actions include:
- Morgan Stanley maintained an Equal-Weight rating and raised its price forecast to $310 on May 5.
- RBC Capital maintained an Outperform rating and raised its price forecast to $341 on May 5.
- UBS maintained a Neutral rating and raised its price forecast to $316 on May 1.
Top ETF Exposure
- State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE:XLB): 4.69% Weight
- The Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLB): 4.66% Weight
- Vanguard Materials ETF (NYSE:VAW): 4.08% Weight
Significance: Because APD carries significant weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock.
Air Products Price Action
APD Stock Price Activity: Air Products shares were up 9.33% at $296.68 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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