MQS Management LLC Buys New Holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. $AIT

MQS Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,946 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $516,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AIT. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 446.4% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 153 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 78.8% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 177 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 93.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Applied Industrial Technologies Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE AIT opened at $338.72 on Wednesday. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $231.61 and a 12 month high of $345.48. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $313.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $286.48. The company has a market cap of $12.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.98, a P/E/G ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 2.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.63 by $0.02. Applied Industrial Technologies had a return on equity of 21.64% and a net margin of 8.34%.The firm had revenue of $1.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.57 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 10.71 EPS for the current year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Applied Industrial Technologies’s payout ratio is 19.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.04, for a total value of $2,448,320.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 40,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,471,436.04. This represents a 16.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Madhuri A. Andrews sold 3,845 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $329.89, for a total transaction of $1,268,427.05. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,951 shares in the company, valued at $1,633,285.39. This trade represents a 43.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Applied Industrial Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 price target on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, DA Davidson started coverage on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $380.00 price objective for the company. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.14.

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.