Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. vs SYSCO Corporation — how do they compare? Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. trades at $305.98 (market cap $68.88B), while SYSCO Corporation trades at $85.17 (market cap $40.32B). The key difference: Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. is the larger of the two by market cap, and SYSCO Corporation pays the higher dividend (2.61%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| APD | SYY | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $68.88B | $40.32B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $314.19 | $91.16 |
52-Week Low | $230.42 | $69.30 |
Enterprise Value | $86.06B | $53.50B |
Dividend Yield | 2.34% | 2.61% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Air Products and Chemicals (APD) trades at $308.18, up 1.56% with strong technical momentum and bullish moving averages. The company has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters, with Q3 2026 EPS of $3.47 exceeding expectations. Recent positive developments include a major semiconductor supply agreement in Taiwan and raised guidance, though profitability metrics show weakness with negative net income margin and ROE. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with a $346 price target representing 12% upside potential.
APD presents a growth opportunity driven by strategic contracts and consistent earnings beats, but faces fundamental challenges with negative profitability and elevated debt levels. The stock's technical strength and institutional support provide near-term momentum, though investors should weigh the disconnect between valuation multiples and current financial performance against the company's long-term growth prospects in industrial gases.
SYY trades at $85.24, up 1.63% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported strong Q4 2026 earnings of $1.53 EPS, beating estimates, with revenue growth to $81.37B in 2025. Analyst consensus is bullish with 60% buy ratings and an $88.25 price target. Recent news highlights CEO discussions on CNBC and positive earnings coverage.
Outlook remains positive with steady revenue growth and efficiency initiatives driving margins. Risks include competitive pressures and macroeconomic uncertainty. The stock offers value with a P/S of 0.48 and dividend yield support, but high P/B of 15.12 warrants caution on valuation sustainability.
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 →Sysco is the largest U.S. food-service distributor, boasting 17% market share of the highly fragmented food-service distribution industry. Sysco distributes over 400,000 food and nonfood products to restaurants (63% of revenue), healthcare facilities (8%), education and government buildings (8%), travel and leisure (7%), and other locations (14%) where individuals consume away-from-home meals. In fiscal 2022, 82% of the firm's revenue was U.S.-based, with 7% from Canada, 4% from the U.K., 2% from France, and 4% other.
Read more on SYY →