The structural profiles are close, with Applied Industrial Technologies carrying a narrow edge on profitability. Fastenal Company still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.
The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.
The overall separation remains limited, with no one area creating a decisive distance.
Both operate in: Industrial Distribution
This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. AIT and FAST share the same industry classification.
For a similarity-based comparison, see how AIT and Fastenal Company each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.
Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.
Score differences across key dimensions.
Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.
Structure stays fairly close here, while current pricing still looks more supportive for Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc..
Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.
Where AIT and FAST each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.
Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.
The clearest distance comes from a stronger profitability profile.
Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. also shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which makes the lead look less detached from the underlying business picture.
The lead is not just visible on score; it also sits on a steadier profile.
Break down the AIT vs FAST comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.
Explore how AIT and FAST each compare against other companies in their peer groups.
Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.
AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.
Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.
Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.
Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.