Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. $AIT Shares Sold by VELA Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• VELA Investment Management trimmed its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 18.8%, selling 4,808 shares and leaving 20,734 shares (about $5.32M), making AIT its 16th largest holding and ~1.3% of VELA's portfolio.
• Company insiders have been net sellers recently—CEO Neil Schrimsher sold 19,207 shares and insiders sold 28,654 shares (~$8.21M) over the last three months, leaving insiders with about 1.6% ownership.
• Applied Industrial beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $2.65 (vs. $2.63) and revenue of $1.25B (+7.3% YoY), provided FY2026 EPS guidance of $10.64–$10.75, and announced a $0.51 quarterly dividend (annualized $2.04; yield ~0.7%).

VELA Investment Management LLC trimmed its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT - Free Report) by 18.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 20,734 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 4,808 shares during the period. Applied Industrial Technologies accounts for about 1.3% of VELA Investment Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. VELA Investment Management LLC owned about 0.06% of Applied Industrial Technologies worth $5,324,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AIT. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 890.0% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 99 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. 93.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Industrial Technologies Price Performance

Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $302.85 on Friday. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $213.78 and a 12-month high of $309.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.86. The firm's 50-day moving average is $276.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $268.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 2.95 and a quick ratio of 2.56.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $1.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.23 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.57 earnings per share. The company's quarterly 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. Equities analysts predict that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 10.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Applied Industrial Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Neil A. Schrimsher sold 19,207 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Jason W. Vasquez sold 5,447 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $287.87, for a total transaction of $1,568,027.89. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 14,491 shares in the company, valued at $4,171,524.17. This represents a 27.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 28,654 shares of company stock valued at $8,212,829. Insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AIT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Friday, April 24th. KeyCorp raised their price target 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. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 price target on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Wednesday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $313.67.

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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