Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Applied Industrial Technologies has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy”, with six buy ratings and one hold rating. The average 1-year price target among covering analysts is about $323.14.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting $2.65 EPS on $1.25 billion in revenue, both slightly ahead of estimates. It also raised guidance, with FY 2026 EPS guidance set at 10.640–10.750.
• Recent insider activity included stock sales by VP Warren E. Hoffner III and Director Madhuri A. Andrews, while institutional investors continue to hold the vast majority of shares. Hedge funds and other institutions own 93.52% of the company’s stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $323.1429.

AIT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. DA Davidson began coverage on Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $380.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen lowered 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 price objective on Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Wednesday, April 29th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Applied Industrial Technologies news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 40,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,471,436.04. This represents a 16.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Madhuri A. Andrews sold 3,845 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $329.89, for a total transaction of $1,268,427.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,951 shares of the company's stock, 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. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Industrial Technologies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AIT. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 446.4% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 153 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 78.8% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 177 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.52% of the company's stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $330.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 2.95. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 52-week low of $238.34 and a 52-week high of $345.48. The company's 50 day moving average price is $316.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $287.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.83.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 8.34% and a return on equity of 21.64%. The firm's revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $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. Equities research analysts forecast that Applied Industrial Technologies 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. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. 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.

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