Zacks Research Has Optimistic View of AIT FY2026 Earnings

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) – Analysts at Zacks Research increased their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, May 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings of $10.68 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $10.58. The consensus estimate for Applied Industrial Technologies’ current full-year earnings is $10.70 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Applied Industrial Technologies’ Q4 2026 earnings at $2.89 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.24 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $3.11 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $2.87 EPS.

AIT has been the subject of several other research reports. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Applied Industrial Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 target price on Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $313.67.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Up 1.2%

AIT stock opened at $306.28 on Thursday. Applied Industrial Technologies has a twelve month low of $218.48 and a twelve month high of $317.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 2.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.32 billion, a PE ratio of 28.92, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.86. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $284.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $272.94.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a return on equity of 21.64% and a net margin of 8.34%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.57 EPS. Applied Industrial Technologies has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.850-2.960 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 10.640-10.750 EPS.

Applied Industrial Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Applied Industrial Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is 19.26%.

Insider Transactions at Applied Industrial Technologies

In other Applied Industrial Technologies news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.04, for a total value of $2,448,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 40,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,471,436.04. This represents a 16.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Industrial Technologies

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 6.2% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 17,252 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,579,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Bull Harbor Capital LLC bought a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies in the first quarter worth $624,000. Smith Group Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 9.9% in the first quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC now owns 4,352 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,155,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 157.8% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 174,907 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $46,406,000 after purchasing an additional 107,067 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 28.7% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,751 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $730,000 after purchasing an additional 614 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.52% of the company’s stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Company Profile

Applied Industrial Technologies, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIT, is a leading distributor of industrial products and services. The company offers a comprehensive range of bearings, power transmission components, fluid power products, industrial rubber products, and automation solutions. Through its network of distribution centers and branch locations, Applied Industrial Technologies serves diverse end markets including manufacturing, oil and gas, mining, food and beverage, and wastewater treatment.

Founded in 1923 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Applied Industrial Technologies has grown through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.