Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) Sets New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Applied Industrial Technologies hit a new 52-week high of $313.30 (last traded ~$312.06) and has a market cap of about $11.65 billion with a P/E around 29.8.
• Analysts have raised targets (KeyCorp to $330, Oppenheimer to $350), leaving the stock with an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target near $313.67.
• The company slightly beat Q1 estimates (EPS $2.65 vs. $2.63) with revenue up 7.3% YoY, set FY 2026 EPS guidance at $10.64–10.75, and declared a $0.51 quarterly dividend (≈0.6% yield).

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $313.30 and last traded at $312.0610, with a volume of 22955 shares. The stock had previously closed at $305.48.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Applied Industrial Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 target price on Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Industrial Technologies currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $313.67.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 2.95 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The company has a market capitalization of $11.65 billion, a PE ratio of 29.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.86. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $277.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $268.70.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.57 EPS. The company'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. On average, research analysts predict that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 10.7 EPS for the current year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Applied Industrial Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.26%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Jason W. Vasquez sold 5,447 shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $287.87, for a total value of $1,568,027.89. Following 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 transaction of $1,154,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 52,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,224,993.62. The trade was a 7.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Applied Industrial Technologies

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wolverine Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies during the third quarter worth approximately $1,044,000. Alps Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 33.0% during the 3rd quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 32,824 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $8,569,000 after buying an additional 8,153 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 22.7% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 933,067 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $243,577,000 after buying an additional 172,857 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. increased its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 44.4% during the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 30,319 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $7,915,000 after purchasing an additional 9,321 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Distillate Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $13,281,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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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