CenterBook Partners LP Acquires New Stake in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. $AIT

CenterBook Partners LP bought a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 1,864 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $487,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position 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 acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 2,033.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 128 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 93.52% of the company’s stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:AIT opened at $281.58 on Friday. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $199.96 and a 12 month high of $296.70. The company has a current ratio of 3.68, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.79, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $271.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $263.20.

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

Applied Industrial Technologies Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Industrial Technologies

In other news, VP Jason W. Vasquez sold 5,447 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $4,171,524.17. The trade was a 27.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 4,000 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 52,751 shares in the company, valued at $15,224,993.62. The trade was a 7.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Applied Industrial Technologies News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised Q4 2027 EPS to $3.22 from $3.16, a meaningful bump that suggests stronger late‑year profitability expectations and supports multiple expansion. MarketBeat AIT
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks increased Q4 2026 EPS to $2.82 (from $2.79) and raised Q1 2027 to $2.79 (from $2.77), reinforcing a view of modestly improving sequential earnings into the company’s fiscal second half. MarketBeat AIT
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks made very small adjustments (Q2 2027 to $2.69 from $2.68; Q2 2028 to $3.00 from $2.99) — immaterial individually but part of an overall refinement of their model. MarketBeat AIT
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks trimmed Q1 2028 slightly to $3.02 from $3.03 — a de minimis change that likely won’t move fundamentals on its own. MarketBeat AIT
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut Q3 2027 EPS to $2.81 from $2.90 and lowered Q3 2026 to $2.62 from $2.69, signalling potential softness in mid‑year demand that could pressure near‑term results. MarketBeat AIT
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed its FY2028 EPS view to $12.63 from $12.70 — a small downward revision to the longer‑term outlook that slightly reduces upside in modeled valuation. MarketBeat AIT

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.