Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of AIT Q1 Earnings

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lifted their Q1 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note issued on Tuesday, May 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $2.80 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $2.76. 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’ Q3 2027 earnings at $2.87 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $11.60 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $3.18 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $12.67 EPS.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.63 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.25 billion for 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.57 EPS. 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.

AIT has been the topic of several other research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 target price on Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Applied Industrial Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $313.67.

Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of AIT opened at $305.92 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $284.93 and its 200 day moving average is $273.29. The company has a market capitalization of $11.31 billion, a PE ratio of 28.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.86. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 12-month low of $218.48 and a 12-month high of $317.10. The company has a current ratio of 2.95, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Industrial Technologies

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 34.3% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 978,840 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $259,706,000 after buying an additional 249,961 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 25.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 962,925 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $247,250,000 after buying an additional 195,043 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 776,394 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $199,355,000 after buying an additional 6,953 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 723,700 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $185,833,000 after buying an additional 3,348 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 687,161 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $176,479,000 after buying an additional 1,889 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.52% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Applied Industrial Technologies news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the vice president owned 40,751 shares in the company, valued at $12,471,436.04. This trade represents a 16.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Industrial Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Applied Industrial Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.26%.

Trending Headlines about Applied Industrial Technologies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple forward EPS estimates for Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT), including FY2026 to $10.68, FY2027 to $11.60, FY2028 to $12.67, and several quarterly estimates, reflecting a brighter earnings outlook. Applied Industrial Technologies report
• Neutral Sentiment: The revised estimates remain broadly in line with the current full-year consensus of $10.70 per share, so the updates are positive but not dramatically above expectations. Applied Industrial Technologies report
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also trimmed one near-term outlook, cutting Q2 2028 EPS to $2.87 from $3.00, which slightly tempers the otherwise upbeat analyst tone. Applied Industrial Technologies report

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.