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Applied Industrial Technologies vs Lincoln Electric Holdings: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Applied Industrial Technologies holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across stability and growth. The remaining gap is narrow enough that the comparison remains open to different readings. 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.

Updated 2026-08-16

The lead is spread across stability and growth, rather than sitting in one isolated gap.

Trajectory Similarity
0.81
Similar
Peer-set rank: #11
within Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc.'s functional peer set

These two companies are linked by measured long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

The pair sits on a clearly comparable long-term path, though it is not a near-twin match.

Most of the shared profile comes through margin consistency and capital structure.

Similarity drivers
margin consistencycapital structure
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
AIT
Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc.
63
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
LECO
Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: AIT vs LECO Profitability 65 55 Stability 70 53 Valuation 54 60 Growth 67 53 AIT LECO
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +17
#2 Growth +14
#3 Profitability +10
#4 Valuation +6
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AIT and LECO Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AITLECO Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup splits cleanly: structure favours Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc., while the price setup favours Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc..

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where AIT and LECO each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY AIT Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap LECO Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 99th
AIT (99th percentile) and LECO (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Stability
Both look solid on stability, though Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. still holds the stronger peer position.
Growth
On growth, the edge still sits with Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc., even though both profiles look solid.
Stability — Dominant Gap
AIT
70
LECO
53
Gap+17in favour of AIT

The stability gap is clear, with the stronger side looking materially steadier through time.

What else supports the lead

Growth also supports the lead, so the result is broader than one isolated gap.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both stability and growth, making it broader than a single-dimension result.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the AIT vs LECO comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Similar stability-and-growth comparisons

Explore how AIT and LECO 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.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

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.