Fact based stock research
Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW)

US4523081093

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For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Illinois Tool Works stock research in summary

itw.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 4 (worse than 96% compared with investment alternatives), Illinois Tool Works (Industrial Machinery, USA) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Illinois Tool Works are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 21 (worse than 79% of alternatives), show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 29), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 12), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 4, is a sell recommendation based on Illinois Tool Works's financial characteristics. As the company Illinois Tool Works's key financial metrics all exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 21), low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 29), and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 12), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. Such poor financial performance sometimes indicates that the company's business is all concentrated in some distant future. This is sometimes the case for high-tech or biotechnology companies. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and risky today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts are all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that should only amount to a small fraction of a safe portfolio. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	21
Growth Rank	29
Safety Rank	12
Combined Rank	4

Country	USA
Industry	Industrial Machinery
Index	Dividends USA, S&P 500
Size class	X-Large

31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.

Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Illinois Tool Works

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	22	18	11	21
GROWTH
GROWTH	58	12	15	29
SAFETY
SAFETY	17	11	22	12
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	56	52	28	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	24	1	1	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 31-Jul-2025. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 31-Mar-2025. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Illinois Tool Works is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	22	18	11	21
GROWTH
GROWTH	58	12	15	29
SAFETY
SAFETY	17	11	22	12
COMBINED
COMBINED	10	1	1	4

Last update of combined financial performance: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Illinois Tool Works the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 21 (worse than 79% compared with alternatives), Illinois Tool Works shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Illinois Tool Works. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 84% of comparable companies, making the stock an attractive buy for dividend investors. However, dividend investors may get disappointed because all other critical financial indicators are below the market median: Price-to-Sales is 4 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 96% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Illinois Tool Works's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 36 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 64% of comparable companies. In addition, Price-to-Book (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 1 is also low. Compared with invested capital, the stock price is higher than for 99% of comparable investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 21, is a sell recommendation based on Illinois Tool Works's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick Illinois Tool Works? The company-reported financials speak against it. The company is expensive compared with revenue and invested capital levels, two reliable company size indicators. In addition, it currently has a low level of profits. How can future dividends be paid in the case that profits remain low? Dividend investors should choose Illinois Tool Works only if they reasonably expect the low current profit levels to be transitory. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	11	9	3	4
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	22	18	13	36
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	1	1	1	1
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	88	92	88	84
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	22	18	11	21

Last update of Value Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Illinois Tool Works; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 29 (better than 29% compared with alternatives), Illinois Tool Works shows a below-average growth dynamic in its industry. There is limited momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Illinois Tool Works. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 14, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 86% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 48, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 17. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 83% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 59, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 59% of alternative investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 29, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That picture may be the result for a company that has reached the bottom. All went south for Illinois Tool Works, and it still looks bad, but some investors already see light at the end of the tunnel, rewarding the stock with recent above-market stock returns. It could also mean that investors are correcting an overreaction to negative news. If that were the case, the positive stock returns are not yet a sign of recovery. Investors should look closely at the Value and Sentiment indicators before they make a stock purchasing decision, because growth is unlikely to be the driving argument behind this investment. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is low here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	50	21	26	14
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	59	26	19	17
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	29	23	34	48
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	62	40	47	59
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	58	12	15	29

Last update of Growth Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Illinois Tool Works.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 12 (better than 12% compared with alternatives), the company Illinois Tool Works has much riskier financing practices than comparable other companies, which means that their overall debt burden is significantly above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Illinois Tool Works is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with just one indicator above average for Illinois Tool Works. Liquidity is at 83, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 83% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 10, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 90% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 4, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 96% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 12 (worse than 88% compared with alternatives), Illinois Tool Works has a financing structure that is significantly riskier than that of its competitors. High Leverage (a low Obermatt Leverage Rank) is good in good times, because it usually indicates that shareholders get higher returns. The good Liquidity performance of the company is an indicator that this is the case. However, if you expect an economic downturn, you may stay clear of this stock because they have an above-average debt level that needs refinancing soon. If the company is sailing with good winds, as may be visible from the Growth and Sentiment performance, the refinancing risk may be lower than the low Refinancing rank suggests. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	5	3	9	4
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	10	8	14	10
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	81	71	88	83
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	17	11	22	12

Last update of Safety Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Illinois Tool Works and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2022	2023	2024	2025
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	5	1	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	53	55	8	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	48	75	42	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	91	87	94	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	56	52	28	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Illinois Tool Works.
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