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Here's Why Investors Should Retain Applied Industrial Stock in Portfolio
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Key Takeaways
Engineered Solutions sales grew 1.8% in Q4 FY25 on strong automation and semiconductor market demand.
Acquisitions of IRIS and Hydradyne added 6.5% to sales, expanding AIT's automation and fluid power reach.
Service Center revenues fell 1.5%, while rising costs lifted SG&A to 19.4% of total fiscal 2025 revenues.
Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (AIT - Free Report) is poised for growth on the back of strength across its served markets of technology, food & beverage, pulp & paper and oil & gas. Solid demand for the company’s technical offerings, including motion control, specialty flow control and automation solutions, driven by increased investments across datacenter infrastructure and semiconductor manufacturing markets, is driving the Engineered Solutions segment.
Favorable order trends across automation, technology and industrial verticals are likely to support the segment’s revenues. However, declining sales in fluid power components, due to weak demand from off-highway mobile OEM customers, remain concerning. The Engineered Solutions segment’s organic revenues increased 1.8% year over year in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 (ended June 30, 2025).
AIT has added multiple assets to its portfolio over time. In May 2025, the company acquired IRIS Factory Automation (“IRIS”). The acquisition boosted Applied Industrial’s automation offerings and will be integrated into the Engineered Solutions segment. Also, the company’s acquisition of Hydradyne (in January 2025) enhanced its fluid power offerings. It helped create cross-selling opportunities and expand its footprint in the Southeast U.S. region. In the fiscal fourth quarter, buyouts had a positive impact of 6.5% on the company's sales.
AIT remains committed to rewarding its shareholders handsomely through dividend payouts and share repurchases. In fiscal 2025, the company paid out dividends worth $63.7 million, up 14% on a year-over-year basis. It hiked its quarterly dividend rate by 24% in January 2025.
Also, in April 2025, the company’s board of directors authorized a new share buyback program (replacing the August 2022 share buyback program) to repurchase up to 1.5 million shares of its common stock.
AIT’s Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
In the past year, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company has gained 15.9% compared with the industry’s growth of 3.6%.
However, Applied Industrial has been witnessing persistent weakness in the Service Center Based Distribution segment. Reduced maintenance, repair and operations spending, particularly in the international markets, is affecting the segment’s performance. Also, soft local account sales across machinery, metals, chemicals and utilities verticals remain concerning. In the fiscal fourth quarter, the segment’s revenues decreased 1.5% on a year-over-year basis.
Rising operating costs and expenses have also been a concern. In fiscal 2025, the company’s cost of sales was up 1.2% year over year. Also, in the fiscal year, the company witnessed a 5.2% year-over-year increase in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses (including depreciation) due to higher costs associated with acquired businesses. The SG&A expenses, as a percentage of total revenues, climbed 60 basis points to reach 19.4%.
Key Picks
Some better-ranked stocks from the same space are discussed below.
NDSN delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 3.2%. In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Nordson’s 2025 earnings has increased 1%.
Flowserve Corporation (FLS - Free Report) presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. FLS delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 5.5%.
In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Flowserve’s 2025 earnings has increased 0.9%.
Parker-Hannifin Corporation (PH - Free Report) presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. PH delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 4.5%.
In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Parker-Hannifin’s fiscal 2026 earnings has inched up 0.1%.
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Here's Why Investors Should Retain Applied Industrial Stock in Portfolio
Key Takeaways
Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (AIT - Free Report) is poised for growth on the back of strength across its served markets of technology, food & beverage, pulp & paper and oil & gas. Solid demand for the company’s technical offerings, including motion control, specialty flow control and automation solutions, driven by increased investments across datacenter infrastructure and semiconductor manufacturing markets, is driving the Engineered Solutions segment.
Favorable order trends across automation, technology and industrial verticals are likely to support the segment’s revenues. However, declining sales in fluid power components, due to weak demand from off-highway mobile OEM customers, remain concerning. The Engineered Solutions segment’s organic revenues increased 1.8% year over year in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 (ended June 30, 2025).
AIT has added multiple assets to its portfolio over time. In May 2025, the company acquired IRIS Factory Automation (“IRIS”). The acquisition boosted Applied Industrial’s automation offerings and will be integrated into the Engineered Solutions segment. Also, the company’s acquisition of Hydradyne (in January 2025) enhanced its fluid power offerings. It helped create cross-selling opportunities and expand its footprint in the Southeast U.S. region. In the fiscal fourth quarter, buyouts had a positive impact of 6.5% on the company's sales.
AIT remains committed to rewarding its shareholders handsomely through dividend payouts and share repurchases. In fiscal 2025, the company paid out dividends worth $63.7 million, up 14% on a year-over-year basis. It hiked its quarterly dividend rate by 24% in January 2025.
Also, in April 2025, the company’s board of directors authorized a new share buyback program (replacing the August 2022 share buyback program) to repurchase up to 1.5 million shares of its common stock.
AIT’s Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
In the past year, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company has gained 15.9% compared with the industry’s growth of 3.6%.
However, Applied Industrial has been witnessing persistent weakness in the Service Center Based Distribution segment. Reduced maintenance, repair and operations spending, particularly in the international markets, is affecting the segment’s performance. Also, soft local account sales across machinery, metals, chemicals and utilities verticals remain concerning. In the fiscal fourth quarter, the segment’s revenues decreased 1.5% on a year-over-year basis.
Rising operating costs and expenses have also been a concern. In fiscal 2025, the company’s cost of sales was up 1.2% year over year. Also, in the fiscal year, the company witnessed a 5.2% year-over-year increase in selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses (including depreciation) due to higher costs associated with acquired businesses. The SG&A expenses, as a percentage of total revenues, climbed 60 basis points to reach 19.4%.
Key Picks
Some better-ranked stocks from the same space are discussed below.
Nordson Corporation (NDSN - Free Report) currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
NDSN delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 3.2%. In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Nordson’s 2025 earnings has increased 1%.
Flowserve Corporation (FLS - Free Report) presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. FLS delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 5.5%.
In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Flowserve’s 2025 earnings has increased 0.9%.
Parker-Hannifin Corporation (PH - Free Report) presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. PH delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 4.5%.
In the past 60 days, the consensus estimate for Parker-Hannifin’s fiscal 2026 earnings has inched up 0.1%.