Hsbc Holdings PLC Increases Stake in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. $AIT

Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT) by 85.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,807 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 15,572 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC’s holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies were worth $8,733,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in Applied Industrial Technologies by 446.4% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 153 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 78.8% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 177 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.52% of the company’s stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AIT opened at $336.97 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a current ratio of 2.95. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a one year low of $230.44 and a one year high of $345.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.82, a PEG ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s fifty day moving average is $311.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $285.22.

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 business had revenue of $1.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.23 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 8.34% and a return on equity of 21.64%. The business’s revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $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. Analysts forecast that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 10.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Industrial Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Applied Industrial Technologies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Industrial Technologies

In other news, Director Madhuri A. Andrews sold 3,845 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $329.89, for a total value of $1,268,427.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,951 shares in the company, valued at $1,633,285.39. This trade represents a 43.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on AIT shares. DA Davidson initiated coverage on Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $380.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $317.00 price target on Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on Applied Industrial Technologies from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.14.

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.