Air Products Invests in South Korea Semiconductor Industry
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
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Should l Buy APD?
Source: PRnewswire
- Strategic Partnership: Air Products has been selected by Samsung to supply industrial gases for its new semiconductor fab in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, marking a deepening of their long-term collaboration and is expected to enhance Air Products' competitiveness in the global semiconductor market.
- Investment Scale: This project represents Air Products' largest investment in the semiconductor industry to date, with phased operations expected from 2028 to 2030, which will significantly boost the company's operational capacity in the electronics sector.
- Facility Development: Air Products will build and operate multiple state-of-the-art production facilities and a bulk specialty gas supply system to provide nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and hydrogen, addressing Samsung's growing manufacturing needs and ensuring its leadership in the global electronics market.
- Market Position: With over 50 years of operations in Korea, Air Products further solidifies its role as a leading global supplier to the semiconductor industry, demonstrating a commitment to safety, reliability, and efficiency in serving its strategic customers.
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Analyst Views on APD
Wall Street analysts forecast APD stock price to fall
15 Analyst Rating
6 Buy
9 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 303.350
Low
255.00
Averages
290.13
High
345.00
Current: 303.350
Low
255.00
Averages
290.13
High
345.00
About APD
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is an industrial gases company. The Company is focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets. Its base business provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food. The Company also develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates clean hydrogen projects supporting the transition to low- and zero-carbon energy in the heavy-duty transportation and industrial sectors. In addition, the Company provides turbomachinery, membrane systems and cryogenic containers globally. The Company has operations in approximately 50 countries. Its industries include aerospace, analytical labs & research/science, automotive, beverages, bioenergy, biotechnology, cement and lime, chemicals, electronics, food, glass and frit, hydrogen energy, medical, metals and materials processing, metals production, medical and others.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Earnings Announcement Preview: Air Products and Chemicals (APD) is set to release its Q2 2023 earnings report on April 30 before market open, with consensus EPS estimate at $3.06, reflecting a 13.8% year-over-year increase, indicating sustained profitability improvements.
- Revenue Expectations: The anticipated revenue for Q2 is $3.07 billion, representing a 5.3% year-over-year growth, which underscores the company's robust performance amid recovering market demand, potentially bolstering investor confidence.
- Historical Performance Review: Over the past two years, APD has surpassed EPS estimates 88% of the time and revenue estimates 25% of the time, demonstrating its reliability in earnings forecasts and adaptability in the market.
- Estimate Revision Dynamics: In the last three months, EPS estimates have seen 10 upward revisions and 4 downward adjustments, while revenue estimates experienced 7 upward revisions and 5 downward changes, reflecting a dynamic market outlook and optimistic expectations for the company's future performance.
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- Strategic Partnership: Air Products has been selected by Samsung to supply industrial gases for its new semiconductor fab in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, marking a deepening of their long-term collaboration and is expected to enhance Air Products' competitiveness in the global semiconductor market.
- Investment Scale: This project represents Air Products' largest investment in the semiconductor industry to date, with phased operations expected from 2028 to 2030, which will significantly boost the company's operational capacity in the electronics sector.
- Facility Development: Air Products will build and operate multiple state-of-the-art production facilities and a bulk specialty gas supply system to provide nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and hydrogen, addressing Samsung's growing manufacturing needs and ensuring its leadership in the global electronics market.
- Market Position: With over 50 years of operations in Korea, Air Products further solidifies its role as a leading global supplier to the semiconductor industry, demonstrating a commitment to safety, reliability, and efficiency in serving its strategic customers.
See More
- Strategic Partnership: Air Products has entered into an agreement with Samsung to supply industrial gases for its new semiconductor fab in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, further deepening their long-term collaborative relationship.
- Investment Scale: This project represents Air Products' largest investment in the semiconductor industry to date, with phased operations expected from 2028 to 2030, solidifying its leadership position in the global electronics sector.
- Facility Development: Air Products will build, own, and operate multiple state-of-the-art production facilities and a bulk specialty gas supply system to meet Samsung's growing manufacturing needs, thereby enhancing its competitiveness in the global semiconductor market.
- Long-term Commitment: With over 50 years of operations in Korea, this investment not only demonstrates Air Products' long-term commitment to the Korean market but also emphasizes its critical role in the global semiconductor supply chain, expected to drive future business growth.
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- Supply Chain Vulnerability: The semiconductor industry, having reduced reliance on single-fabricator risks post-COVID chip shortages, remains heavily dependent on Qatar for 30% of global helium supply, a vulnerability exposed by the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
- Helium Production Disruption: Qatar's Ras Laffan facility, the largest helium production site, has been largely offline since March 2026 due to Iranian attacks and a blockade, causing helium production to halt alongside LNG, exacerbating supply chain issues.
- Limitations of Responses: While the industry is implementing helium recycling, tool redesign, and supply diversification, these measures have limited effectiveness; helium used for leak detection is unrecoverable, and new helium projects will take years to yield significant production.
- Investor Focus: Linde, as the largest industrial gas supplier, stands to benefit from rising helium prices and demand for recycling systems, while TSMC's multi-year supply contracts provide a buffer, though production constraints at Samsung and SK Hynix could impact Nvidia's shipping capabilities.
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- Supply Chain Dependency: The semiconductor industry relies on Qatar for approximately 30% of global helium supply, and the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis has largely halted helium production in Qatar, exposing the industry to significant production risks.
- Production Disruption Impact: Qatar's Ras Laffan facility has been offline since March 2026, directly affecting the production of high-bandwidth memory chips, particularly for Samsung and SK Hynix, which are crucial for Nvidia's Blackwell GPUs.
- Limitations of Responses: While helium recycling, tool redesign, and supply diversification efforts are underway, these measures do not provide a short-term solution to helium dependence, and new helium projects will take years to yield meaningful production.
- Market Opportunities: Linde, as the world's largest industrial gas company, stands to benefit from rising helium prices and increased demand for recycling systems, highlighting the strengthened market position of industrial gas infrastructure providers amid supply chain crises.
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- Supply Chain Vulnerability: The Iran war has caused helium prices to double, revealing the fragility of global supply chains to geopolitical shocks, prompting investors to reassess risks and seize current buying opportunities.
- Semiconductor Industry Resilience: Since March 30, the iShares Semiconductor ETF has surged over 30%, and despite ongoing conflict, TSMC has indicated no immediate operational disruptions, showcasing the industry's robust resilience.
- Helium as a Strategic Asset: Linde has emerged as a major beneficiary of rising helium prices due to its significant storage capacity and supply network, which is expected to drive long-term growth and enhance market pricing power.
- Urgency in Domestic Manufacturing: GlobalFoundries' multibillion-dollar expansion plan in the U.S., supported by CHIPS Act funding, ensures structural advantages in a complex supply chain, reducing reliance on external supplies.
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