Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. · AIT · FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q2 2026
AIT beats Q3 on 6% organic growth and record EBITDA; lifts FY26 EPS to $10.60-$10.75
Applied Industrial Technologies delivered the strongest organic growth in over two years, with record EBITDA and a top-line beat driven by automation, fluid power, and its technology/semiconductor and data-center vertical. Management's raised FY26 EPS guidance to $10.60-$10.75 and continued M&A and buyback activity reinforce confidence, though LIFO-driven margin headwinds and macro/trade uncertainty temper the outlook.
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensusMarket reaction
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Transcript intelligence
What changed
The quarter came in ahead of expectations: EPS of $2.65 beat the $2.63 estimate (about +0.8%) and revenue of $1.25B beat the $1.22B estimate (about +2.2%). Organic sales rose 6% YoY with record EBITDA, and management raised full-year EPS guidance to $10.60-$10.75 while authorizing a new 3-million-share buyback. The stock rose about 1.5% versus a falling benchmark into the print and drifted about 3.8% higher subsequently.
Guidance delta
Management raised full-year guidance, tightening EPS toward the high end to a projected $10.60-$10.75, reflecting higher sales expectations.
Key takeaways
- Organic sales rose 6% YoY, the best in over two years, led by double-digit gains in automation and fluid power.
- EBITDA hit a record, with margins in line with guidance despite LIFO headwinds; EPS of $2.65 beat the $2.63 estimate.
- Revenue of $1.25B topped consensus by about 2.2%, helped by a technology (semiconductor/data-center) vertical contributing ~300 bps of Engineered Solutions growth.
- Guidance was lifted, with FY26 EPS now projected at $10.60-$10.75.
- M&A remains a key growth engine with a pipeline of midsize and tuck-in targets, and the board authorized a new 3-million-share repurchase program.
Management priorities
- Pursue additional midsize and tuck-in acquisitions, particularly in fluid power, flow control, and automation.
- Continue share repurchases under the newly authorized program.
- Invest in automation, robotics, machine vision, and IoT solutions for data-center and high-tech applications.
- Advance cross-selling between Service Centers and Engineered Solutions to drive organic growth.
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Analyst 52W Price Targets
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Sep 26, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oppenheimer | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Mizuho | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Keybanc | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Aug 14, 2026 |
| DA Davidson | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Baird | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 14, 2026 |
| B of A Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Raymond James | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Aug 15, 2025 |
| Loop Capital | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 17, 2025 |
| Wells Fargo | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Apr 5, 2021 |
| Sidoti & Co. | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Dec 9, 2019 |
| Longbow Research | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Mar 8, 2019 |
| Avondale Partners | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Mar 21, 2016 |
| BB&T Capital | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Jul 7, 2014 |
| CJS Securities | Market Perform | Market Outperform | Downgrade | Aug 15, 2013 |
| Wunderlich Securities | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Aug 2, 2013 |
| Wunderlich | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Aug 2, 2013 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $333.39. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Alliance Securities | Chris Dankert | $400 | $360.39 | +20.0% | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Analyst unavailable | $390 | $362.17 | +17.0% | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Industrial Alliance Securities | Analyst unavailable | $390 | $357.62 | +17.0% | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $400 | $357.62 | +20.0% | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Brett Linzey | $400 | $357.62 | +20.0% | Aug 14, 2026 |
| KeyBanc | Analyst unavailable | $420 | $357.62 | +26.0% | Aug 14, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Brett Linzey | $355 | $335.94 | +6.5% | Jul 21, 2026 |
| Industrial Alliance Securities | Chris Dankert | $380 | $316.18 | +14.0% | Jun 15, 2026 |
| Oppenheimer | Christopher Glynn | $350 | $301.24 | +5.0% | Apr 29, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $317 | $301.24 | -4.9% | Apr 29, 2026 |
| KeyBanc | Analyst unavailable | $300 | $262.34 | -10.0% | Jan 28, 2026 |
| Mizuho Securities | Brett Linzey | $305 | $258.03 | -8.5% | Oct 29, 2025 |
| Industrial Alliance Securities | Sabrina Abrams | $290 | $267.11 | -13.0% | Aug 22, 2025 |
| Oppenheimer | Chris Glynn | $235 | $232.36 | -29.5% | Oct 24, 2024 |
| Mizuho Securities | Brett Linzey | $285 | $229.98 | -14.5% | Oct 21, 2024 |
| KeyBanc | Ken Newman | $245 | $218.77 | -26.5% | Sep 23, 2024 |
| Robert W. Baird | David Manthey | $210 | $203.62 | -37.0% | Aug 29, 2024 |
| Loop Capital Markets | Chris Dankert | $230 | $199.67 | -31.0% | Aug 16, 2024 |
| KeyBanc | Steve Barger | $215 | $199.95 | -35.5% | Aug 16, 2024 |
| Loop Capital Markets | Chris Dankert | $215 | $183.59 | -35.5% | Apr 29, 2024 |
| KeyBanc | Ken Newman | $140 | $113.43 | -58.0% | Aug 12, 2022 |
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Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationApplied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (AIT) is a prominent distributor specializing in advanced solutions for industrial motion, power, control, and automation. Its operational footprint extends across North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. The company structures its operations into two main divisions: Service Center Based Distribution and Fluid Power & Flow Control. AIT's extensive product portfolio encompasses a wide range of industrial components and systems, including bearings, power transmission equipment, engineered fluid power systems, specialized flow control mechanisms, cutting-edge automation products, various industrial rubber items, linear motion components, and essential tools, safety gear, and oilfield provisions.…
Historical context
All AIT earningsIndustrials peers this season
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Latest beats and misses
Who reports nextBeat on EPS
- SNXFY2026 Q3 · September 24, 2026+20.9% EPS-9.9% move
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- PAYXFY2027 Q1 · September 23, 2026+1.5% EPS-8.8% move
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- AZOFY2026 Q4 · September 22, 2026+3.6% EPS+3.3% move
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Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-05-11T10:29:34.698584+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-07-26T00:37:12.209961+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-09-26T02:21:01.037784+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-09-26T02:21:01.034831+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-09-26. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.