Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $323.1429.

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of 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 shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. DA Davidson assumed coverage on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $380.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Friday, April 24th.

Insider Activity at Applied Industrial Technologies

In other news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the vice president owned 40,751 shares in the company, valued at $12,471,436.04. This represents a 16.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Applied Industrial Technologies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AIT. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 890.0% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 99 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.52% of the company’s stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Performance

AIT opened at $323.86 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 $303.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $281.01. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 1-year low of $223.13 and a 1-year high of $327.00. The company has a market cap of $11.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.58, a PEG ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.84.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.63 by $0.02. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 8.34% and a return on equity of 21.64%. The firm had revenue of $1.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.57 earnings per share. The business’s revenue 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. On average, analysts expect that Applied Industrial Technologies will post 10.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Announces Dividend

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%.

About Applied Industrial Technologies

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.