Hsbc Holdings PLC Purchases 15,572 Shares of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. $AIT

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC increased its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 85.4% in the fourth quarter, buying 15,572 more shares and bringing its total holdings to 33,807 shares valued at about $8.7 million.
• Applied Industrial Technologies reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.65 and revenue of $1.25 billion, while also raising guidance for fiscal 2026. The company’s shares were noted as slightly down on the day despite trading near their 52-week high.
• Analysts remain generally positive on the stock, with six Buy ratings and one Hold rating, and a consensus target price of $323.14. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.51 per share, payable August 31.

Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT - Free Report) by 85.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,807 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 15,572 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.09% of Applied Industrial Technologies worth $8,733,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AIT. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 25.4% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 962,925 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $247,250,000 after acquiring an additional 195,043 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 22.7% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 933,067 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $243,577,000 after purchasing an additional 172,857 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 776,394 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $199,355,000 after purchasing an additional 6,953 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 723,700 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $185,833,000 after purchasing an additional 3,348 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 687,161 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $176,479,000 after purchasing an additional 1,889 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.52% of the company's stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Down 1.9%

AIT stock opened at $336.97 on Friday. 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 firm's fifty day simple moving average is $311.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $285.22. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $230.44 and a 12 month high of $345.48. The company has a market capitalization of $12.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.84.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a return on equity of 21.64% and a net margin of 8.34%.The company's revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last 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. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 10.71 earnings per share 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Applied Industrial Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AIT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. 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. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 price target on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, DA Davidson started coverage on Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $380.00 target price on the stock. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Applied Industrial Technologies presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $323.14.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Madhuri A. Andrews sold 3,845 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $329.89, for a total value of $1,268,427.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,951 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,633,285.39. This represents a 43.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.04, for a total value of $2,448,320.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 40,751 shares in the company, valued at $12,471,436.04. This represents a 16.41% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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