Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. APD has announced that its subsidiary, Air Products San Fu, has secured a long-term agreement to support a semiconductor manufacturer's expansion in Taiwan. The project will supply multiple new semiconductor fabrication plants and back-end packaging facilities to help meet rising demand, driven by artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
As part of the agreement, Air Products San Fu will build, own and operate four air separation units, along with bulk gas supply systems and new underground pipeline infrastructure. The company will provide a range of industrial gases, including nitrogen, oxygen, argon and helium, essential for semiconductor operations. The new pipeline systems will connect to Air Products' existing network in Taiwan, improving supply reliability, operational efficiency and resilience.
The contract further strengthens Air Products' presence in Taiwan, where it has operated for more than seven decades. The company has established a strong foothold across the island's major science parks, including one of the world's largest ultra-high-purity nitrogen pipeline systems in southern Taiwan. It also supports the demanding requirements of the electronics industry by emerging as the first gas company to be awarded ISO9002 and ISO14000 certifications.
The project also expands Air Products' integrated supply network across both front-end semiconductor manufacturing and back-end advanced packaging, reinforcing its position as a key supplier to Taiwan's fast-growing electronics industry.
APD’s shares have lost 0.5% over the past year against the industry’s 6.4% decline.
APD’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks
APD currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are Kronos Worldwide, Inc. KRO, Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS and CF Industries Holdings, Inc. CF.
While KRO and CRS currently sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each, CF carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KRO’s 2026 loss is pinned at 33 cents per share, indicating a 65.63% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in one of the trailing four quarters and missed the remaining three. KRO’sshares have gained 6.8% over the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CRS’ 2026 earnings is pegged at $10.56 per share, indicating a rise of 41.18% year over year. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 8.95%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CF’s current fiscal-year earnings is pinned at $17.24 per share, indicating an 83.99% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 11.42%. CF’s shares have gained 31.2% over the past year.
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Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).