APPLIED INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. vs QXO, Inc., two Distribution stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where AIT and QXO diverge most: on operating margin, AIT reads 11.0% and QXO reads -14.6%; on net margin, AIT reads 8.3% and QXO reads -6.0%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What AIT's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | AIT | QXO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $345.30 | $13.29 |
| Market cap | $13.0B | $9.9B |
| Sector | Distribution | Distribution |
| Stage | Mature | Growth |
| P/E | 32.6 | — |
| P/B | 7.00 | 0.97 |
| P/S | 2.69 | 1.16 |
| EV/EBITDA | 24.0 | — |
| Revenue growth | +7.6% | +200.0% |
| Gross margin | 30.4% | 23.7% |
| Operating margin | 11.0% | -14.6% |
| Net margin | 8.3% | -6.0% |
| Return on equity | 21.7% | -5.1% |
| Return on assets | 13.5% | -3.1% |
| Return on invested capital | 17.4% | -2.7% |
| FCF yield | 3.4% | 2.0% |
| Dividend yield | 0.5% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.20 | 0.30 |
| Current ratio | 2.95 | 3.33 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 9.46 | 1.65 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 8 / 9 | 4 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.