Vanguard Group Inc. Lowers Stake in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. $AIT

Key Points

• Vanguard Group trimmed its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 1.2% in Q4, selling 49,853 shares and now owning 4,078,319 shares — about 10.81% of the company valued at roughly $1.05 billion; institutional investors hold about 93.5% of AIT.
• Applied Industrial reported quarterly EPS of $2.65 (vs. $2.63 consensus) and revenue of $1.25 billion, up 7.3% year‑over‑year, and issued FY2026 guidance of 10.64–10.75 EPS with Q4 guidance of 2.85–2.96.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.51 (annualized $2.04, ~0.7% yield; ex‑div May 15), while insiders sold about 28,654 shares (~$8.21M) over the past 90 days; analysts hold a Moderate Buy consensus with an average target near $313.67.

Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT - Free Report) by 1.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,078,319 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 49,853 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 10.81% of Applied Industrial Technologies worth $1,047,190,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AIT. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in 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 purchased a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 446.4% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 153 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. 93.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE AIT opened at $302.85 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.56, a current ratio of 2.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $213.78 and a 52 week high of $309.67. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $276.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $268.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.86.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 analysts' expectations of $1.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.57 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 research analysts anticipate that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 10.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date 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 19.26%.

Insider Activity at Applied Industrial Technologies

In related news, VP Jason W. Vasquez sold 5,447 shares of the firm's 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 completion of the sale, the vice president owned 14,491 shares in the company, valued at $4,171,524.17. This trade represents a 27.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 4,000 shares of the firm's 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 owned 52,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,224,993.62. This trade represents a 7.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 28,654 shares of company stock worth $8,212,829 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on AIT shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Friday, April 24th. 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 report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 target price on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Wednesday. 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 report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Five research 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 currently has an average 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.

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