Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. vs Yum China Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. trades at $306.08 (market cap $68.88B), while Yum China Holdings Inc trades at $47.76 (market cap $16.28B). The key difference: Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. is far larger — about 4.2× Yum China Holdings Inc's market cap, and Yum China Holdings Inc pays the higher dividend (2.44%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| APD | YUMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $68.88B | $16.28B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $314.19 | $57.95 |
52-Week Low | $230.42 | $40.18 |
Enterprise Value | $86.06B | $17.19B |
Dividend Yield | 2.34% | 2.44% |
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.
YUMC trades at $48.19, up 0.98% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong earnings beats in recent quarters. The company reported revenue of $11.80B in 2025 with a net income margin of 7.84%, and recently completed the acquisition of the Pizza Hut brand in Mainland China, enhancing strategic control. Analyst consensus is strongly positive with 14 buy ratings and a projected 26.21% upside potential.
The outlook for YUMC is favorable due to consistent earnings growth, store expansion, and the Pizza Hut acquisition eliminating royalty fees. Risks include macroeconomic headwinds in China and competitive pressures. Wall Street sentiment remains bullish, supported by institutional confidence and positive earnings momentum.
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 →With almost 10,600 units and USD 9.5 billion in systemwide sales in 2020, Yum China is the largest restaurant chain in China. It generates revenue through its own restaurants and franchise fees. Key concepts include KFC (7,166 units) and Pizza Hut (2,355), but the company's portfolio also includes other brands such as Little Sheep, East Dawning, Taco Bell, Huang Ji Huang, COFFii & Joy, and Lavazza (collectively representing about 985 units). Yum China is a trademark licensee of Yum Brands, paying 3% of total systemwide sales to the company it separated from in October 2016.
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