Robert W. Baird Issues Positive Forecast for Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) Stock Price

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) had its price objective upped by equities researchers at Robert W. Baird from $317.00 to $400.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s target price points to a potential upside of 12.05% from the company’s current price.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on AIT. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $330.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Friday. DA Davidson began coverage on Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $380.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price target on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $355.00.

Applied Industrial Technologies Trading Up 1.3%

Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $356.99 on Friday. Applied Industrial Technologies has a one year low of $238.34 and a one year high of $374.80. The business’s fifty day moving average is $336.11 and its 200 day moving average is $302.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.19 billion, a PE ratio of 33.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 2.95 and a quick ratio of 1.97.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The industrial products company reported $3.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.92 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a return on equity of 21.64% and a net margin of 8.34%.Applied Industrial Technologies’s revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.80 EPS. Applied Industrial Technologies has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.650-12.150 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Applied Industrial Technologies will post 10.71 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Madhuri A. Andrews sold 3,845 shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $329.89, for a total transaction of $1,268,427.05. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,951 shares in the company, valued at $1,633,285.39. This trade represents a 43.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Industrial Technologies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the fourth quarter worth $125,044,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 1,628.7% during the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 196,946 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $50,570,000 after purchasing an additional 185,553 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 40.8% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 21,572 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $5,539,000 after purchasing an additional 6,254 shares during the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 33,181.4% in the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 300,864 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $81,322,000 after purchasing an additional 299,960 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual of America Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 38.1% in the 4th quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 96,438 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $24,762,000 after buying an additional 26,612 shares during the period. 93.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Industrial Technologies

Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Industrial Technologies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings and revenue beat forecasts: Fiscal Q4 EPS was $3.17, up from $2.80 a year earlier and above the $2.92 analyst consensus. Revenue rose approximately 10.4%–10.5% year over year to about $1.35 billion, exceeding the $1.29 billion estimate. Applied Industrial Technologies Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Solid operating performance: The company reported a 21.64% return on equity and an 8.34% net margin, supporting investor confidence that growth is translating into profitability. Management also increased its intermediate financial targets, signaling continued confidence in the company’s longer-term outlook. Applied Industrial Technologies Fiscal 2026 Results and Fiscal 2027 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 outlook supports the stock: AIT guided to EPS of $11.65–$12.15 and revenue of $5.2–$5.3 billion. The EPS midpoint is broadly consistent with the $11.82 consensus, while the revenue range is at or above the roughly $5.2 billion estimate, reducing concerns about a near-term slowdown. Applied Industrial Technologies Shares Rise as Q4 Results Beat Forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts had expected $2.92 in quarterly EPS and $1.29 billion in revenue ahead of the release; those expectations were surpassed, making the earnings event a positive catalyst rather than a source of uncertainty. Wall Street Expectations Ahead of Q4 Earnings

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.