Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Applied Industrial Technologies has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from six brokers (five buy, one hold) with an average 1‑year target of $295 and notable upgrades such as KeyCorp raising its target to $330.
• Insiders have been net sellers—CEO Neil Schrimsher sold 19,207 shares (~$5.49M) and insiders sold 28,654 shares (~$8.21M) over the past three months; insiders own 1.60% of the stock while institutions hold 93.52%.
• The company beat quarterly EPS estimates ($2.51 vs. $2.48), increased its quarterly dividend to $0.51 ($2.04 annual, ~0.7% yield), and set FY 2026 guidance at 10.45–10.75 EPS (consensus ~10.65).

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $295.00.

A number of brokerages have commented on AIT. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Monday, December 29th. KeyCorp upped 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Neil A. Schrimsher sold 19,207 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.85, for a total value of $5,490,320.95. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 130,528 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,311,428.80. This trade represents a 12.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 4,000 shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $288.62, for a total value of $1,154,480.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 52,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,224,993.62. This trade represents a 7.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 28,654 shares of company stock worth $8,212,829 over the last three months. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compound Planning Inc. boosted its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 822 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $211,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. US Asset Management LLC raised its position in Applied Industrial Technologies by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. US Asset Management LLC now owns 1,266 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $325,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,410 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $369,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 653 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $170,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 4,631 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,209,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.52% of the company's stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AIT opened at $293.56 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.82. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $274.21 and its 200-day moving average price is $265.81. The company has a current ratio of 3.68, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 1-year low of $212.14 and a 1-year high of $296.70.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.03. Applied Industrial Technologies had a return on equity of 21.74% and a net margin of 8.49%.The company had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Industrial Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.450-10.750 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Applied Industrial Technologies will post 10.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Applied Industrial Technologies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Applied Industrial Technologies's payout ratio is 19.41%.

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.

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