Steady Income from the Industrial Sector: Why Air Products Stands Out

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) is included among the 13 Best Industrial Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now.

Steady Income from the Industrial Sector: Why Air Products Stands Out

A line of workers in a refinery wearing protective suits and masks, overseeing the production process of specialty gases.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) is a worldwide leader in providing industrial gases and equipment for liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing. It’s also one of the top global suppliers of merchant hydrogen and plays a key role in hydrogen fuel infrastructure. The company operates over 100 hydrogen plants with the ability to produce 7 million kilograms of hydrogen fuel daily.

In the first quarter of 2025, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) reported a strong cash position with an operating cash flow of $811.7 million, up $626.6 million from the same period last year. At the end of December 2024, the company had almost $2 billion available in cash and cash items. APD has always remained committed to its shareholder return as the company expects to pay approximately $1.6 billion to investors through dividends in FY25.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) is among the best dividend stocks in the industrial sector as the company has raised its payouts for 43 years in a row. The company currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.45%, as of July 13.

While we acknowledge the potential of APD to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than APD and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None.