Applied Industrial Technologies vs MSC Industrial Direct
Applied Industrial Technologies reported revenue of $5.0 billion in fiscal 2026, 1.2 times MSC Industrial Direct's $4.0 billion in fiscal 2026. Applied Industrial Technologies' revenue grew 8.8% in its latest year, and MSC Industrial Direct's grew 6.4%. Applied Industrial Technologies had an operating margin of 11.1%, against 8.0% at MSC Industrial Direct. Free cash flow was $461 million at Applied Industrial Technologies and $225 million at MSC Industrial Direct. Their fiscal years end in different months (June 30 and August 29), so the periods don't line up exactly.
Side by side
| Applied Industrial Technologies | MSC Industrial Direct | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest fiscal year | FY2026, Jun 30, 2026 | FY2026, Aug 29, 2026 |
| Revenue | $5.0B | $4.0B |
| Revenue growth | 8.8% | 6.4% |
| Revenue growth a year, last 5 years | 8.9% | 4.3% |
| Gross margin | 30.3% | 40.9% |
| Operating margin | 11.1% | 8.0% |
| Net margin | 8.3% | 5.5% |
| Free cash flow | $461M | $225M |
| Free cash flow margin | 9.3% | 5.6% |
| Return on capital | 20.8% | 13.2% |
| Net debt to EBITDA | 0.2x | 1.0x |
| Dividends and buybacks | $390M | $208M |
| Change in diluted share count | −2.5% | 0.2% |
| Last close | $324.68 | $118.72 |
| P/E at the last close | 29.7× | 29.8× |
| Insider trades, last 12 months | sold $15.8 million | bought $18.0 million, sold $156,294 |
| Piotroski F-score | 7 of 9 | 8 of 9 |
Amounts in each company's own currency, US$ unless marked (a foreign company may report in another), each company's latest fiscal year from its 10-K, or 20-F or 40-F for a foreign company. Growth rates compare with the year before; the five-year rate is the average a year. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending; return on capital is after-tax operating income over the money invested in the business; P/E is the last close over the latest earnings per share. Banks are measured differently (return on equity, efficiency ratio), so some rows apply to one company only.
Ten years
Revenue
US$ billions, fiscal years
Applied Industrial TechnologiesMSC Industrial Direct
Operating margin
Percent of revenue
Applied Industrial TechnologiesMSC Industrial Direct
Free cash flow
US$ billions. Cash from operations minus capital expenditure.
Applied Industrial TechnologiesMSC Industrial Direct
Source: the companies' Form 10-K filings, from SEC EDGAR, and the last close. For information only, not investment advice: the figures describe results, not which company is the better investment. The Filing Desk is not affiliated with either company. Full figures on the Applied Industrial Technologies and MSC Industrial Direct pages.