Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. vs McKesson Corporation — how do they compare? Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. trades at $308.56 (market cap $68.63B), while McKesson Corporation trades at $899.06 (market cap $102.58B). The key difference: McKesson Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.35%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| APD | MCK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $68.63B | $102.58B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Health |
52-Week High | $314.19 | $995.69 |
52-Week Low | $230.42 | $659.01 |
Enterprise Value | $85.80B | $109.12B |
Dividend Yield | 2.35% | 0.43% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Air Products and Chemicals (APD) trades at $303.44, up 1.17% today, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong analyst support with a consensus price target of $346, though high valuation ratios like a P/E of 30.86 and EV/EBITDA of 50.36 raise concerns. Recent news highlights a major semiconductor supply deal in Taiwan and raised guidance after Q3 2026 results.
The outlook is mixed: positive momentum from contract wins and earnings performance offers upside, but negative net income margins and elevated debt levels pose risks. Investors should weigh growth catalysts against financial leverage and profitability challenges.
McKesson (MCK) trades at $869.58, down 0.14% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The stock shows strong fundamentals with revenue growth to $359.05B in 2025 and consistent earnings beats, including Q2 2026 EPS of $9.93 versus $9.56 expected. Valuation metrics like P/E of 23.33 and P/S of 0.26 indicate reasonable pricing relative to peers. Recent news highlights Q1 2027 results exceeding expectations and raised full-year guidance, driven by specialty drug and oncology growth.
Outlook remains positive with 80% analyst buy ratings and a $1,000 consensus price target, suggesting 15% upside. Risks include thin net margins of 1.12% and high liabilities at $76.83B, which could pressure equity during economic downturns. Investors should focus on execution of raised guidance and margin improvements from cost efficiencies.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Since its founding in 1940, Air Products has become one of the leading industrial gas suppliers globally, with operations in 50 countries and 19,000 employees. The company is the largest supplier of hydrogen and helium in the world. It has a unique portfolio serving customers in a number of industries, including chemicals, energy, healthcare, metals, and electronics. Air Products generated $10.3 billion in revenue in fiscal 2021.
Read more on APD →McKesson is a leading wholesaler of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health, the three account for well over 90% of the U.S. pharmaceutical wholesale industry. McKesson is currently divesting from its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution in Europe and Canada in order to redeploy capital to strategic growth areas in the U.S. (oncology network and ecosystem, and biopharma services). Additionally, the company supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities and provides a variety of technology solutions for pharmacies.
Read more on MCK →