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AIT vs. XYL: Applied Industrial vs. Xylem Stock Comparison

How do Applied Industrial (AIT) and Xylem (XYL) 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 Xylem (XYL) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but AIT is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while XYL is classified in Machinery.

Company profile comparison for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Xylem (XYL)
Profile ItemAITXYL
NameApplied Industrial Technologies Inc.Xylem Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsMachinery
GICS Sub-IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsIndustrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization10.35 billion USD22.44 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980October 13, 2011
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AIT
XYL
GSPC
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL), 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 Xylem (XYL). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricAITXYL
Total Return (1Y)15.62%-33.10%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)24.49%2.29%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)24.56%-4.47%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AIT
XYL
GSPC
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL), 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 Xylem (XYL). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricAITXYL
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)28.72%30.74%
Beta (5Y)0.860.96
Max Drawdown (5Y)-26.42%-44.89%
Avg. Volume (3M)295.41K2.60M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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AIT and XYL 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 Xylem (XYL)
MetricAITXYL
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.39-1.22
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.53-1.48

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Applied Industrial (AIT) at 22.51% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Xylem (XYL) at 9.76% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for AIT.

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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

9.76%

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
XYL
9.76%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 8.39% and Xylem (XYL) at 11.94% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

11.94%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
XYL
11.94%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 11.12% and Xylem (XYL) at 15.95% 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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

15.95%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
XYL
15.95%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricAITXYL
ROE (TTM)22.51%9.76%
ROA (TTM)11.43%5.07%
Net Margin (TTM)8.39%11.94%
Operating Margin (TTM)11.12%15.95%
Gross Margin (TTM)30.40%39.32%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 8.84% and Xylem (XYL) at 5.52% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Xylem (XYL) reports EPS growth of 7.40%, ranked against its industry; Applied Industrial (AIT) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricAITXYL
Revenue Growth (YoY)8.84%5.52%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)4.02%17.84%
EPS Growth (YoY)--7.40%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)7.40%25.99%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Applied Industrial (AIT) at 2.89 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Xylem (XYL) at 1.39 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for XYL.

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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

1.39

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
XYL
1.39
Min
0.36
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Applied Industrial (AIT) at 0.15 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Xylem (XYL) at 0.29 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.

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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

0.29

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
XYL
0.29
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): 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 Xylem (XYL)
MetricAITXYL
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.891.39
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.150.29
Net Debt / EBITDA0.271.18

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Xylem (XYL) at 1.69% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Applied Industrial (AIT) at 0.71% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, XYL the richer one.

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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

1.69%

Max
2.66%
XYL
1.69%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Applied Industrial (AIT) at 17.63% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Xylem (XYL) at 37.47% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

37.47%

Max
67.39%
XYL
37.47%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricAITXYL
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.71%1.69%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)17.63%37.47%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Applied Industrial (AIT) at 25.10 and Xylem (XYL) at 21.69 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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

21.69

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
XYL
21.69
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): 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 Xylem (XYL) at 2.48 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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

2.48

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
XYL
2.48
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Xylem (XYL) at 2.19 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Applied Industrial (AIT) at 5.50 carries an above-peer premium to book — AIT is pricier on assets.

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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

2.19

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
XYL
2.19
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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Applied Industrial (AIT) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Applied Industrial (AIT) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricAITXYL
P/E Ratio (TTM)25.1021.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)2.052.48
P/B Ratio (MRQ)5.502.19
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)3.24%5.39%