Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. research snapshot

AIT AI Stock Analysis

AIT AI stock analysis currently views Applied Industrial Technologies as a value-added industrial distributor of motion, fluid power, flow control, automation, and MRO products with improving organic demand and disciplined capital returns. Fiscal 2025 sales were $4.563 billion and net income was $393.0 million. Fiscal 2026 third-quarter sales reached $1.251 billion, up 7.3% year over year and up 6.0% organically, while diluted EPS was $2.65. At the July 12, 2026 data cutoff, the July 10 market reference was $331.15, implying about 31.3x TTM EPS of $10.58 and roughly $12.24 billion of market value. This AIT AI stock analysis uses scenarios rather than a certain price prediction and is for informational purposes, not investment advice.

Current price

$331.15 reference close on July 10, 2026

Market cap

$12.24B reported, with $12.239B from $331.15 times 36.96M shares

AI score

68 / 100

Rating

High-quality industrial motion distributor with solid execution, moderate growth, and a valuation that already prices durable compounder status

Trend status

Multi-month advance inside a $238.34 to $345.48 52-week range, with price near the upper half of the band and still needing live chart confirmation

Data cutoff (updated weekly)

July 12, 2026

Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.

Research quality check

information Richness
A-level information richness. AIT has long public filings, detailed quarterly releases, proxy disclosures, liquid market data, and multi-source financial coverage.
bias Check
The main AI research bias is treating steady industrial distribution growth and recent organic acceleration as permanent. The analysis tests that narrative against industrial-cycle risk, tariff and trade uncertainty, acquisition integration, LIFO and inflation effects, competitive pressure from broader MRO peers, and a valuation that already assumes continued execution.
ai Confidence
High for reported FY2025 and FY2026 year-to-date results, balance-sheet figures, share count, and market-cap arithmetic. Medium for technical levels and forward returns because daily prices, industrial demand, and multiples can change quickly.
investment Certainty
Medium. AIT has a clear business model, local service density, technical solutions mix, and cash generation, but the July reference price leaves limited margin of safety if growth slows or the multiple compresses.

Quick verdict table

DimensionConclusionConfidence
Business qualityAIT distributes and engineers industrial motion, power transmission, bearings, fluid power, flow control, automation, and related maintenance products for MRO and OEM customers across North America and selected international markets.High
MoatLocal service-center density, technical application expertise, supplier relationships, inventory availability, and switching friction in mission-critical MRO support a moderate moat. The moat is stronger in Engineered Solutions than in commodity product resale.Medium-high
ManagementNeil A. Schrimsher has led AIT as CEO since 2011 and as President & CEO since 2013. Capital allocation has mixed buybacks, dividends, bolt-on acquisitions, and balance-sheet flexibility, with notable FY2026 share repurchases.Medium-high
Financial trendFY2025 revenue was $4.563B and net income was $393.0M. Through nine months of FY2026, sales were $3.614B and net income was $295.9M. Q3 organic growth accelerated to 6.0%, led by Engineered Solutions.High
ValuationAt the July 10 price, exact arithmetic gave about 31.3x TTM EPS, 6.59x book value, and roughly 27.9x free cash flow per share using a $11.88 FCF-per-share input. The multiple requires continued mid-to-high single-digit growth and margin stability.High
Technical trendThe $331.15 July 10 close sat below the $345.48 52-week high and well above the $238.34 low. Momentum has been constructive, but live moving averages, RSI, and volume should be confirmed before treating the trend as actionable.Medium
Risk levelKey risks include industrial demand cycles, tariffs and trade policy, LIFO and inflation effects, acquisition integration, competition from Motion, Grainger, Fastenal, and specialists, customer capital-spending pauses, and multiple compression.Medium-high
AI confidenceFinancial facts, share count, and market-cap math are well supported. Confidence is lower for timing a stock return because market expectations can change before reported results do.High data confidence
Investment certaintyAIT has a credible quality and cash-flow case, but valuation and industrial-cycle exposure make the investment case conditional rather than certain.Medium

AIT AI stock forecast

AIT AI Stock Forecast Scenarios

The AIT AI stock forecast starts from the $331.15 July 10 reference and a $10.58 TTM EPS input. The audited three-year scenario model produced roughly $225, $373, and $476 per share for bearish, base, and bullish cases using 2%, 8%, and 12% EPS growth with terminal P/E assumptions of 20x, 28x, and 32x. Company FY2026 EPS guidance after Q3 was $10.64 to $10.75. These are sensitivity anchors, not promises or analyst targets.

Bullish case

$450 to $480

More likely if organic growth stays near the high single digits, Engineered Solutions and automation keep outgrowing the core, EBITDA margins hold near the low-12% area, free cash flow funds buybacks and bolt-ons, and investors accept a premium multiple near 32x earnings. The exact model output was about $475.70.

Base case

$350 to $380

More likely if AIT compounds EPS near 8% for three years, industrial demand remains constructive but normalizes, pricing offsets inflation and LIFO noise, and investors apply a roughly 28x terminal P/E. The exact model output was about $373.20.

Bearish case

$210 to $230

More likely if U.S. industrial activity slows, tariffs or customer caution cut MRO and project spend, margins compress, acquisition returns disappoint, or investors re-rate the shares toward 20x earnings. The exact model output was about $224.60.

AIT AI technical analysis

AIT AI Technical Analysis

AIT AI technical analysis uses the July 10, 2026 $331.15 market reference. The reported 52-week range was $238.34 to $345.48. This static page does not fetch request-time prices, so moving averages, RSI, MACD, and volume must be refreshed in a chart before use.

LevelValueWhy it matters
Current price reference$331.15Market close published for July 10, 2026 and used for the valuation and market-cap calculation.
Near support$320 to $325Uses recent July trading around the low $320s as a nearby price reference, not a guaranteed floor.
Secondary support$280 to $300A lower reference zone that needs validation against the current chart and earnings expectations before use.
Near resistance$340 to $345.48The zone into the reported 52-week high is the first overhead confirmation band.
Major resistance$345.48The reported 52-week high is the key published overhead reference.
Moving averagesRequires live chart confirmationConfirm current 50-day and 200-day moving averages before acting because this page has no request-time market-data fetch.
MomentumRequires live RSI and MACD confirmationA constructive multi-month advance alone does not establish a durable entry signal.
VolumeConfirm against current 20-day averageA break toward the 52-week high is more informative when volume confirms the move. Average volume has recently been near the mid-200,000 share area.
Volatility$238.34 to $345.48 52-week rangeThe wide published range shows that industrial-cycle and multiple expectations can move the shares materially.
InvalidationSustained close below $280 with weaker fundamentalsA break of this zone together with weaker organic growth, margin pressure, or lower guidance would require a new thesis review.

AIT AI trading strategy

AIT AI Trading Strategy Framework

This AIT AI trading strategy is a rules-based research framework, not personalized investment advice. It connects technical confirmation with organic sales trends, segment mix, EBITDA margin, free cash flow, leverage, acquisitions, share repurchases, and the next earnings update.

Trend-following setup

Wait for a refreshed chart to show price holding above confirmed moving averages or breaking the $345.48 high on above-average volume, while organic growth, Engineered Solutions demand, and full-year guidance remain intact.

A failed breakout, a close below the defined support zone, or a demand and margin setback should reduce confidence. Define position size and an invalidation condition before entry.

Mean-reversion setup

If AIT retraces toward $280 to $300 while reported demand, margin, cash flow, and balance-sheet conditions remain sound, compare the lower price with the verified mid-30x earnings multiple before assuming it is cheap.

Do not average down solely because the price falls. A lower quote can reflect a real deterioration in industrial demand, pricing power, acquisition returns, or investor expectations.

Fundamental monitor

Track Service Center and Engineered Solutions organic growth, gross and EBITDA margins, LIFO expense, free cash flow, net debt, acquisition contribution, share-repurchase pace, and the estimated August 14, 2026 fiscal fourth-quarter report window.

Treat major guidance cuts, working-capital reversals, debt-funded overreach, or an industrial-demand slowdown as reasons to reassess the original thesis.

Investment research summary

Four-master Research Compression

Business essence

Customers pay AIT for local availability, technical expertise, and engineered motion, fluid power, flow control, and automation solutions that keep industrial equipment running and help factories modernize processes.

Moat

AIT benefits from service-center proximity, application engineering, supplier access, inventory depth, and switching costs in critical MRO and engineered systems. Those advantages are real but not absolute, because broadline and specialist distributors can compete on price, digital tools, and product breadth.

Munger risk inversion

The thesis fails if industrial demand fades, tariffs or customer caution cut MRO and project spend, Engineered Solutions growth stalls, acquisition returns disappoint, inflation and LIFO reverse margins, or a premium valuation falls faster than earnings grow.

Management

Neil A. Schrimsher leads AIT as President and CEO. The central capital-allocation test is whether bolt-on acquisitions, dividends, and large buybacks increase durable per-share free cash flow rather than merely amplify a cyclical industrial peak.

Industry trend

U.S. industrial MRO, factory automation, fluid power, and flow-control demand can support multi-year growth as plants address labor constraints and productivity needs. Near-term results still depend on break-fix activity, customer capital budgets, and trade-policy noise.

Valuation and margin of safety

The July 10 reference price implied about 31.3x TTM EPS and roughly 27.9x free cash flow per share by exact calculation. A margin of safety depends on earnings compounding and capital returns matching or exceeding what the market already assumes.

Source-backed data

AIT Data Table

Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.

MetricValueSourceLast verified
July 10 price, shares, market cap, and 52-week range$331.15 close, 36.96M shares, about $12.24B market cap, $238.34 to $345.48 rangeMacrotrends price history, Yahoo Finance, and Morningstar quote dataJuly 12, 2026
FY2025 revenue and net income$4.563B revenue and $393.0M net income; diluted EPS $10.12Applied Industrial Technologies FY2025 year-end release and MacrotrendsJuly 12, 2026
FY2025 revenue and net income cross-check$4.563B revenue and $0.393B net incomeMacrotrends AIT revenue and net income pagesJuly 12, 2026
Q3 FY2026 sales, EPS, and free cash flow$1.251B sales, $2.65 diluted EPS, $99.8M net income, $95.4M free cash flowApplied Industrial Technologies Q3 FY2026 earnings releaseJuly 12, 2026
Nine-month FY2026 sales and net income$3.614B sales and $295.9M net income through March 31, 2026Applied Industrial Technologies Q3 FY2026 earnings releaseJuly 12, 2026
Cash, debt, and equity at March 31, 2026$171.6M cash, $365.3M total debt, $1.860B shareholders equityApplied Industrial Technologies Q3 FY2026 balance sheetJuly 12, 2026
TTM EPS, revenue, and PE contextTTM EPS $10.58, TTM revenue about $4.84B, trailing PE about 31.3xYahoo Finance AIT key statistics and quote pagesJuly 12, 2026
FY2026 company guidance after Q3EPS $10.64 to $10.75, total sales growth +7.2% to +7.7%, organic growth +3.8% to +4.2%, EBITDA margin 12.3% to 12.4%Applied Industrial Technologies Q3 FY2026 earnings releaseJuly 12, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

This AIT AI stock analysis page is an informational research tool only and is not investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Forecast scenarios are based on publicly available data as of the stated cutoff and may be incomplete or wrong. Markets, industrial demand, tariffs, acquisition outcomes, and company results can change quickly. Always verify figures with primary filings and consider your own objectives, risk tolerance, and independent research before making investment decisions.