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Side-by-side financial comparison of APPLIED INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES INC (AIT) and Steris (STE). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Steris is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.5B vs $1.2B, roughly 1.3× APPLIED INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES INC). Steris runs the higher net margin — 12.9% vs 8.2%, a 4.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Steris posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.2% vs 8.4%). Steris produced more free cash flow last quarter ($199.5M vs $93.4M). Over the past eight quarters, Steris's revenue compounded faster (15.8% CAGR vs 0.7%).

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (AIT) is a public, global company based in the U.S. and focused on the distribution of bearings, power transmission products, engineered fluid power components and systems, specialty flow control products, and other industrial supplies. AIT provides engineering, design and system integration for industrial and fluid power applications, as well as customized mechanical, fabricated rubber, fluid power, and flow control shop services.

Steris plc is an American-Irish-based medical equipment company specializing in sterilization and surgical products for the US healthcare system. Steris is operationally headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, and has been legally registered in Dublin, Ireland, for tax purposes since 2018. Previously the company was registered in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2018.

AIT vs STE — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
STE
STE
1.3× larger
STE
$1.5B
$1.2B
AIT
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STE
STE
+0.8% gap
STE
9.2%
8.4%
AIT
Higher net margin
STE
STE
4.7% more per $
STE
12.9%
8.2%
AIT
More free cash flow
STE
STE
$106.1M more FCF
STE
$199.5M
$93.4M
AIT
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STE
STE
Annualised
STE
15.8%
0.7%
AIT

Income Statement — Q2 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Revenue
$1.2B
$1.5B
Net Profit
$95.3M
$192.9M
Gross Margin
30.4%
43.8%
Operating Margin
10.6%
18.3%
Net Margin
8.2%
12.9%
Revenue YoY
8.4%
9.2%
Net Profit YoY
2.2%
11.2%
EPS (diluted)
$2.51
$1.96

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
$1.2B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$1.2B
$1.5B
Q2 25
$1.2B
$1.4B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$1.5B
Q4 24
$1.1B
$1.4B
Q3 24
$1.1B
$1.3B
Q2 24
$1.2B
$1.3B
Q1 24
$1.1B
$1.1B
Net Profit
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
$95.3M
$192.9M
Q3 25
$100.8M
$191.9M
Q2 25
$107.8M
$177.4M
Q1 25
$99.8M
$145.7M
Q4 24
$93.3M
$173.5M
Q3 24
$92.1M
$150.0M
Q2 24
$103.5M
$145.4M
Q1 24
$97.2M
$-1.4M
Gross Margin
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
30.4%
43.8%
Q3 25
30.1%
44.2%
Q2 25
30.6%
45.1%
Q1 25
30.5%
43.3%
Q4 24
30.6%
44.5%
Q3 24
29.6%
43.6%
Q2 24
30.7%
44.7%
Q1 24
29.5%
40.2%
Operating Margin
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
10.6%
18.3%
Q3 25
10.8%
18.2%
Q2 25
11.0%
17.7%
Q1 25
11.1%
14.6%
Q4 24
11.3%
17.9%
Q3 24
10.3%
16.5%
Q2 24
12.0%
14.5%
Q1 24
10.6%
22.0%
Net Margin
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
8.2%
12.9%
Q3 25
8.4%
13.1%
Q2 25
8.8%
12.8%
Q1 25
8.6%
9.8%
Q4 24
8.7%
12.7%
Q3 24
8.4%
11.3%
Q2 24
8.9%
11.4%
Q1 24
8.5%
-0.1%
EPS (diluted)
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
$2.51
$1.96
Q3 25
$2.63
$1.94
Q2 25
$2.80
$1.79
Q1 25
$2.57
$1.48
Q4 24
$2.39
$1.75
Q3 24
$2.36
$1.51
Q2 24
$2.64
$1.46
Q1 24
$2.48
$-0.02

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$406.0M
$423.7M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.9B
$7.2B
Total Assets
$3.2B
$10.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.27×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
$406.0M
$423.7M
Q3 25
$418.7M
$319.2M
Q2 25
$388.4M
$279.7M
Q1 25
$352.8M
$171.7M
Q4 24
$303.4M
$155.2M
Q3 24
$538.5M
$172.2M
Q2 24
$460.6M
$198.3M
Q1 24
$456.5M
$207.0M
Total Debt
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
$1.9B
Q3 25
$1.9B
Q2 25
$1.9B
Q1 25
$1.9B
Q4 24
$2.0B
Q3 24
$2.2B
Q2 24
$2.2B
Q1 24
$3.1B
Stockholders' Equity
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
$1.9B
$7.2B
Q3 25
$1.9B
$7.0B
Q2 25
$1.8B
$7.0B
Q1 25
$1.8B
$6.6B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$6.4B
Q3 24
$1.8B
$6.6B
Q2 24
$1.7B
$6.4B
Q1 24
$1.7B
$6.3B
Total Assets
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
$3.2B
$10.6B
Q3 25
$3.2B
$10.4B
Q2 25
$3.2B
$10.4B
Q1 25
$3.1B
$10.1B
Q4 24
$3.0B
$10.0B
Q3 24
$3.0B
$10.2B
Q2 24
$3.0B
$10.1B
Q1 24
$2.9B
$11.1B
Debt / Equity
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
0.27×
Q3 25
0.27×
Q2 25
0.27×
Q1 25
0.29×
Q4 24
0.32×
Q3 24
0.33×
Q2 24
0.35×
Q1 24
0.50×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$99.7M
$298.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$93.4M
$199.5M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
8.0%
13.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.5%
6.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.05×
1.55×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$458.5M
$917.1M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
$99.7M
$298.2M
Q3 25
$119.3M
$287.8M
Q2 25
$147.0M
$420.0M
Q1 25
$122.5M
$260.8M
Q4 24
$95.1M
$332.8M
Q3 24
$127.7M
$250.7M
Q2 24
$119.2M
$303.7M
Q1 24
$84.2M
$254.8M
Free Cash Flow
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
$93.4M
$199.5M
Q3 25
$112.0M
$201.3M
Q2 25
$138.2M
$326.4M
Q1 25
$114.9M
$189.9M
Q4 24
$89.9M
$243.6M
Q3 24
$122.2M
$148.8M
Q2 24
$111.7M
$195.7M
Q1 24
$76.7M
$163.3M
FCF Margin
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
8.0%
13.3%
Q3 25
9.3%
13.8%
Q2 25
11.3%
23.5%
Q1 25
9.8%
12.8%
Q4 24
8.4%
17.8%
Q3 24
11.1%
11.2%
Q2 24
9.6%
15.3%
Q1 24
6.7%
14.6%
Capex Intensity
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
0.5%
6.6%
Q3 25
0.6%
5.9%
Q2 25
0.7%
6.7%
Q1 25
0.6%
4.8%
Q4 24
0.5%
6.5%
Q3 24
0.5%
7.7%
Q2 24
0.6%
8.4%
Q1 24
0.7%
8.2%
Cash Conversion
AIT
AIT
STE
STE
Q4 25
1.05×
1.55×
Q3 25
1.18×
1.50×
Q2 25
1.36×
2.37×
Q1 25
1.23×
1.79×
Q4 24
1.02×
1.92×
Q3 24
1.39×
1.67×
Q2 24
1.15×
2.09×
Q1 24
0.87×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AIT
AIT

Service Center Based Distribution Segment$625.2M54%
Engineered Solutions Segment$398.9M34%
Other$75.8M7%
Hydradyne LLC$63.1M5%

STE
STE

Servicerevenues$404.7M27%
Consumablerevenues$387.1M26%
Applied Sterilization Technologies$286.6M19%
Capitalequipmentrevenues$272.1M18%
Life Science$145.8M10%

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