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AIT vs. FIX: Applied Industrial vs. Comfort Systems USA Stock Comparison

How do Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but AIT is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while FIX is classified in Construction & Engineering.

Company profile comparison for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX)
Profile ItemAITFIX
NameApplied Industrial Technologies Inc.Comfort Systems USA Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsConstruction & Engineering
GICS Sub-IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsConstruction & Engineering
Market Capitalization10.35 billion USD35.81 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980June 27, 1997
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AIT
FIX
GSPC
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX)
MetricAITFIX
Total Return (1Y)15.62%15.31%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)24.49%81.62%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)24.56%62.48%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AIT
FIX
GSPC
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX)
MetricAITFIX
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)28.72%60.97%
Beta (5Y)0.861.68
Max Drawdown (5Y)-26.42%-53.28%
Avg. Volume (3M)295.41K471.64K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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AIT and FIX are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX)
MetricAITFIX
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.390.18
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.530.25

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 58.61% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Applied Industrial (AIT) at 22.51% also sits in the top quartile.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

22.51%

Max
40.55%
AIT
22.51%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

58.61%

FIX
58.61%
Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 13.01% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Applied Industrial (AIT) at 8.39%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

8.39%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
AIT
8.39%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

13.01%

Max
27.47%
FIX
13.01%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 11.12% and Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 16.47% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

11.12%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
AIT
11.12%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

16.47%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
FIX
16.47%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX)
MetricAITFIX
ROE (TTM)22.51%58.61%
ROA (TTM)11.43%16.88%
Net Margin (TTM)8.39%13.01%
Operating Margin (TTM)11.12%16.47%
Gross Margin (TTM)30.40%25.70%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 29.52% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Applied Industrial (AIT) at 8.84% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for FIX.

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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Comfort Systems USA (FIX) reports EPS growth of 97.81%, ranked against its industry; Applied Industrial (AIT) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX)
MetricAITFIX
Revenue Growth (YoY)8.84%29.52%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)4.02%30.03%
EPS Growth (YoY)--97.81%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)7.40%61.78%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Applied Industrial (AIT) at 2.89 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 1.15 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for FIX.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

2.89

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
AIT
2.89
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

1.15

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
FIX
1.15
Min
0.36
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 0.15 and Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 0.11 keep leverage in the lower quartile of their industries, with less balance-sheet debt relative to equity than most peers.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

0.15

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
AIT
0.15
Min
0.00

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

0.11

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
FIX
0.11
Min
0.00
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX)
MetricAITFIX
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.891.15
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.150.11
Net Debt / EBITDA0.27-0.81

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 0.71% and Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 0.31% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

0.71%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
AIT
0.71%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

0.31%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
FIX
0.31%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 17.63% and Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 6.48% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

17.63%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
AIT
17.63%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

6.48%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
FIX
6.48%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX)
MetricAITFIX
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.71%0.31%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)17.63%6.48%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 25.10 and Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 21.98 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

25.10

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
AIT
25.10
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

21.98

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
FIX
21.98
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 2.05 and Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 2.85 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

2.05

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
AIT
2.05
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

2.85

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
FIX
2.85
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Applied Industrial (AIT) at 5.50 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Comfort Systems USA (FIX) at 10.66 prices even higher, above its industry range.

AIT

Capital Goods industry group

5.50

Max
9.66
AIT
5.50
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08

FIX

Capital Goods industry group

10.66

FIX
10.66
Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Comfort Systems USA (FIX): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Comfort Systems USA (FIX)
MetricAITFIX
P/E Ratio (TTM)25.1021.98
P/S Ratio (TTM)2.052.85
P/B Ratio (MRQ)5.5010.66
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)3.24%5.94%