Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Estimate for AIT Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q2 2028 EPS estimate for Applied Industrial Technologies to $2.88 from $2.87, with the full-year consensus standing at $10.71 per share.
• The company recently beat Wall Street expectations in its latest earnings report, posting $2.65 EPS on $1.25 billion in revenue and topping estimates on both profit and sales.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with six Buy ratings and one Hold, though the consensus price target is $329.57 versus the stock’s recent price around $327.75.

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2028 earnings estimates for Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $2.88 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $2.87. The consensus estimate for Applied Industrial Technologies' current full-year earnings is $10.71 per share.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 EPS 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 analysts' expectations of $1.23 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 8.34% and a return on equity of 21.64%. The firm's revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.57 earnings per share. 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.

Several other research firms also recently commented on AIT. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 target price on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $380.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price objective on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $350.00 to $375.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Applied Industrial Technologies has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $329.57.

Applied Industrial Technologies Price Performance

Shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $327.75 on Thursday. Applied Industrial Technologies has a one year low of $238.34 and a one year high of $345.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 2.95. The stock has a market cap of $12.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.83. The stock's fifty day moving average is $319.80 and its 200 day moving average is $291.54.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Industrial Technologies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 22,451.0% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 585,423 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $150,319,000 after buying an additional 582,827 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $125,044,000. M&T Bank Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 33,181.4% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 300,864 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $81,322,000 after buying an additional 299,960 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. raised its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 4,933.8% in the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 264,575 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $67,935,000 after acquiring an additional 259,319 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 34.3% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 978,840 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $259,706,000 after acquiring an additional 249,961 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.52% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Madhuri A. Andrews sold 3,845 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $329.89, for a total value of $1,268,427.05. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,951 shares in the company, valued at $1,633,285.39. The trade was a 43.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $306.04, for a total transaction of $2,448,320.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 40,751 shares in the company, valued at $12,471,436.04. This represents a 16.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Industrial Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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%.

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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