Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Monday, December 29th. KeyCorp increased their price target on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $294.38.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Up 0.5%

Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $283.91 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $274.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $263.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a current ratio of 3.68. The company has a market cap of $10.59 billion, a PE ratio of 27.01, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.80. Applied Industrial Technologies has a fifty-two week low of $199.96 and a fifty-two week high of $296.70.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.03. Applied Industrial Technologies had a return on equity of 21.74% and a net margin of 8.49%.The firm had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.39 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Applied Industrial Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.450-10.750 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Applied Industrial Technologies will post 9.9 EPS for the current year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. This is an increase from Applied Industrial Technologies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Industrial Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.41%.

Insider Activity

In other Applied Industrial Technologies news, VP Jason W. Vasquez sold 5,447 shares of the 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 transaction, the vice president owned 14,491 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,171,524.17. This represents a 27.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $288.62, for a total value of $1,154,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 52,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,224,993.62. The trade was a 7.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 28,654 shares of company stock worth $8,212,829 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AIT. Compound Planning Inc. grew its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 822 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $211,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. US Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. US Asset Management LLC now owns 1,266 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $325,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 3.3% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,410 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 7.4% in the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 653 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $170,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 1.1% during the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 4,631 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,209,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. 93.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.