Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (AIT) vs Ferguson plc (FERG)
Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. and Ferguson plc are both Industrial Distribution companies. Ferguson plc is the larger, with a market value of $42.6B against $12.2B — 3.5× the size. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. trades at the lower P/E: 30.1× against 50.7×. Ferguson plc grew revenue faster over the last twelve months: 9.38% against 8.84%. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has the higher net margin (8.35% vs 7.15%) and the lower return on invested capital (17.2% vs 18.8%). Both pay a dividend; Ferguson plc yields more (1.54% vs 0.78%). Across the 23 metrics below, Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. leads on 16 and Ferguson plc on 7.
Valuation
Profitability
| Metric | AIT | FERG | Industrial Distribution median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 30.34% | 31.10% | 30.34% |
| Operating margin | 11.06% | 9.73% | 8.06% |
| Net margin | 8.35% | 7.15% | 4.95% |
| Free cash flow margin | 9.29% | 3.85% | 4.67% |
| Return on equity | 22.37% | 40.09% | 14.29% |
| Return on assets | 13.40% | 12.69% | 5.30% |
| Return on invested capital | 17.20% | 18.75% | 8.13% |
Growth
Health
Dividend
Size
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