Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. APD has announced plans to build, own and operate a new air separation unit (“ASU”) in Cocoa, FL, to expand its industrial gas production capacity and strengthen support for the growing space launch providers in the state.
The new facility is targeted to begin operations in the second half of 2028. The ASU will produce liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon. These critical gases will also be available to the regional merchant market, including metals processing and fabrication, medical and chemical industries.
As the leading industrial supplier, Air Products also develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest clean hydrogen projects. It has also had a history of operating an ASU in Florida for over three decades in Orlando, supporting the local economy with medical and industrial gases. The new project in Cocoa is expected to further improve regional coverage, while adding to its 70 ASUs, which are currently operating, across the United States.
APD stock has gained 12% over the past year compared with the industry’s 16.8% growth.
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APD’s Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks
APD currently holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Other top-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are CF Industries Holdings, Inc. CF, Albemarle Corporation ALB and Balchem Corporation BCPC.
While CF sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, ALB and BCPC carry a Zacks Rank #2 each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CF’s 2026 earnings is pegged at $11.35 per share, indicating a rise of 21.13% year over year. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 13.15%. CF’s shares have soared 51.8% over the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALB’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $8.72 per share, indicating a 1,203.8% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing it in one, with an average surprise of 57.77%. ALB’s shares have jumped 221.7% over the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BCPC’s 2026 earnings is pinned at $5.47 per share, indicating a 6.21% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the four trailing quarters, while missing it in the remaining two.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
