Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Forecast for AIT Earnings

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) – Analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for Applied Industrial Technologies in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, February 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the industrial products company will post earnings of $2.62 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $2.69. The consensus estimate for Applied Industrial Technologies’ current full-year earnings is $9.90 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Applied Industrial Technologies’ Q4 2026 earnings at $2.82 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.79 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.69 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.81 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.22 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $12.63 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Wall Street Zen cut Applied Industrial Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Mizuho set a $305.00 price objective on Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, KeyCorp decreased their price target on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $290.63.

Applied Industrial Technologies Trading Up 0.7%

Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $281.20 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $10.49 billion, a PE ratio of 26.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.84. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 12 month low of $199.96 and a 12 month high of $296.70. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $271.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $263.15. The company has a current ratio of 3.68, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.39 EPS. Applied Industrial Technologies’s revenue for the quarter 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.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Industrial Technologies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $200,456,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 22,451.0% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 585,423 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $150,319,000 after purchasing an additional 582,827 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $125,044,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies in the second quarter valued at $81,722,000. Finally, M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 33,181.4% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 300,864 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $81,322,000 after acquiring an additional 299,960 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.52% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Industrial Technologies

In other news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,224,993.62. This represents a 7.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Jason W. Vasquez sold 5,447 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $287.87, for a total transaction of $1,568,027.89. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 14,491 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,171,524.17. This trade represents a 27.32% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 28,654 shares of company stock worth $8,212,829 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Applied Industrial Technologies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Applied Industrial Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.41%.

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.