Childress Capital Advisors LLC Takes $462,000 Position in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. $AIT

Childress Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,800 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $462,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AIT. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in Applied Industrial Technologies by 4.1% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 381,187 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $85,897,000 after acquiring an additional 14,926 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the first quarter valued at approximately $318,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 12.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,348 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $22,162,000 after purchasing an additional 10,863 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth increased its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 4.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 1,341 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $302,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $217,000. Institutional investors own 93.52% of the company’s stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock opened at $284.63 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $274.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $265.26. The company has a market capitalization of $10.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.08, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a quick ratio of 2.56, a current ratio of 3.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $212.14 and a 12-month high of $296.70.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last posted 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 net margin of 8.49% and a return on equity of 21.74%. The firm had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.39 earnings per share. The business’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. On average, 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 business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.51 per share. This is a boost from Applied Industrial Technologies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Applied Industrial Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 19.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Monday, December 29th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $295.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Industrial Technologies

In related news, VP Jason W. Vasquez sold 5,447 shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $287.87, for a total value 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. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, 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 trade represents a 7.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 28,654 shares of company stock valued at $8,212,829. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

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.