Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the six research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $313.6667.

AIT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen lowered Applied Industrial Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 target price on Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Friday, April 24th.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Performance

AIT opened at $322.91 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.95, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $298.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $278.62. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 1-year low of $223.13 and a 1-year high of $324.34. The company has a market cap of $11.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.49, a PEG ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.84.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.23 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 8.34% and a return on equity of 21.64%. The business’s revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.57 earnings per share. 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. On average, analysts expect that Applied Industrial Technologies will post 10.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Applied Industrial Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.26%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.04, for a total transaction of $2,448,320.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 40,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,471,436.04. The trade was 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

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 890.0% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 99 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. 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.