Federated Hermes Inc. Reduces Position in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. $AIT

Federated Hermes Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) by 5.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 243,340 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 12,730 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. owned about 0.65% of Applied Industrial Technologies worth $63,524,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies during the second quarter valued at about $107,228,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $81,722,000. Dundas Partners LLP grew its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 12,956.0% during the 2nd quarter. Dundas Partners LLP now owns 266,212 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $61,881,000 after acquiring an additional 264,173 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 11,885.4% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 258,286 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $60,039,000 after acquiring an additional 256,131 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal London Asset Management Ltd. raised its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 69.2% during the 2nd quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 393,743 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $91,526,000 after acquiring an additional 161,048 shares during the period. 93.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Performance

AIT opened at $256.15 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 2.50 and a current ratio of 3.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.65, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a fifty day moving average of $264.07 and a 200 day moving average of $261.58. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $199.96 and a fifty-two week high of $286.66.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.03. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 8.49% and a return on equity of 21.74%. The business had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Industrial Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.450-10.750 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 9.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. This is a positive change from Applied Industrial Technologies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Applied Industrial Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 17.71%.

Trending Headlines about Applied Industrial Technologies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings beat — AIT reported $2.51 EPS, beating consensus by $0.03 and continuing an earnings beat streak that supports profitability metrics and ROE. Applied Industrial Q2 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Revenues Miss
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase — The board raised the quarterly dividend ~10.9% to $0.51, signaling confidence in cash flow and returning capital to shareholders (ex-dividend Feb 13). (Company announcement)
• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition contribution — Revenue growth was helped by acquisitions (roughly +6.0% contribution), showing M&A is lifting revenue and margins even as organic growth remains modest. Applied Industrial Technologies Reports Fiscal 2026 Second Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials available — Management held the Q2 call and posted the transcript and slide deck (useful for detail on end markets, margins and working capital). Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage highlights long-term growth case — Recent pieces (Zacks, Yahoo/finance pieces) reiterate AIT’s long-term growth thesis based on recurring distribution revenues and M&A strategy; useful for buy-and-hold investors. Why Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed estimates — Net sales (~$1.16–1.2B reported) came in slightly below consensus (~$1.17B), a disappointment given the EPS beat and likely the first reason traders sold into the print. Applied Industrial Q2 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Revenues Miss
• Negative Sentiment: FY 2026 guidance slightly light — Management set EPS guidance of $10.45–$10.75 and revenue guidance near $4.8–$4.9B; the midpoint and revenue range sit at or just below Street estimates, prompting concern around near-term growth. (Guidance disclosure / press materials)

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on AIT. Mizuho set a $305.00 price target on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. KeyCorp dropped their target price on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Industrial Technologies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $290.63.

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.