Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of AIT Q2 Earnings

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) – Research analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2027 earnings per share estimates for Applied Industrial Technologies in a report issued on Wednesday, June 10th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the industrial products company will earn $2.71 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $2.69. The consensus estimate for Applied Industrial Technologies’ current full-year earnings is $10.70 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Applied Industrial Technologies’ Q4 2027 earnings at $3.25 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $11.63 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $3.12 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $3.19 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $12.70 EPS.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a return on equity of 21.64% and a net margin of 8.34%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.57 earnings per share. Applied Industrial Technologies has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.850-2.960 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 10.640-10.750 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on AIT. Oppenheimer upped their price target on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. KeyCorp increased their price objective on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Applied Industrial Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 price objective on Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Applied Industrial Technologies currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $313.67.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of AIT opened at $314.60 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $299.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $279.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 2.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $11.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.84. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 52-week low of $223.13 and a 52-week high of $326.41.

Applied Industrial Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. Applied Industrial Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Industrial Technologies

In other news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.04, for a total transaction of $2,448,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 40,751 shares in the company, valued at $12,471,436.04. This represents a 16.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Industrial Technologies

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of AIT. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 890.0% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 99 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.52% 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.