MUFG Securities EMEA plc Acquires New Position in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. $AIT

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Applied Industrial Technologies, buying 5,275 shares worth about $1.35 million. Several other institutional investors also increased or initiated positions, and institutions own 93.52% of the stock.
• Applied Industrial Technologies reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.65 versus $2.63 expected and revenue of $1.25 billion versus $1.23 billion expected. Revenue rose 7.3% year over year, and the company raised guidance for fiscal 2026.
• The stock has been trading near its highs, opening at $307.81 with a 1-year range of $223.13 to $317.10. Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with five Buy ratings, one Hold, and a consensus Moderate Buy target of $313.67.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 5,275 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,354,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC grew its position in Applied Industrial Technologies by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC now owns 4,649 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,194,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in Applied Industrial Technologies by 43.2% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 68,548 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $17,601,000 after purchasing an additional 20,687 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $125,044,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $133,000. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,543,000. 93.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Industrial Technologies Price Performance

Shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $307.81 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $291.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $275.77. The company has a current ratio of 2.95, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $223.13 and a 1-year high of $317.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.07, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.84.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.57 earnings per share. Applied Industrial Technologies'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, sell-side analysts expect that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 10.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Applied Industrial Technologies's payout ratio is presently 19.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Industrial Technologies

In other news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the business'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 sale, the vice president directly owned 40,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,471,436.04. The trade was a 16.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on AIT shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Friday, April 24th. 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. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 target price on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price 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. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.