Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT) from "hold" to "buy", joining other bullish analysts (six buys, one hold) with a MarketBeat average target of $294.38 and KeyCorp recently lifting its target to $330.
• Q4 results delivered a $2.51 EPS (beat by $0.03) and revenue up 8.4% year‑over‑year to $1.16B, and the company set FY2026 guidance of $10.45–$10.75 EPS while analysts forecast roughly $9.9 for the current year.
• Insiders have been net sellers—28,654 shares (~$8.21M) sold in the last 90 days—while insiders own 1.6% of the stock and institutional investors hold about 93.5%.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Monday, December 29th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $294.38.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $289.29 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $273.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $264.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 3.68 and a quick ratio of 2.56. The company has a market capitalization of $10.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.53, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.82. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 1-year low of $212.00 and a 1-year high of $296.70.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $2.51 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $1.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.39 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Industrial Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.450-10.750 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Applied Industrial Technologies will post 9.9 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Industrial Technologies

In other Applied Industrial Technologies news, VP Jason W. Vasquez sold 5,447 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $287.87, for a total value of $1,568,027.89. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 14,491 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,171,524.17. The trade was a 27.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.62, for a total value of $1,154,480.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 52,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,224,993.62. This trade represents a 7.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 28,654 shares of company stock worth $8,212,829 over the last 90 days. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Industrial Technologies

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 890.0% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 99 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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