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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Donaldson Company vs Lincoln Electric Holdings: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Lincoln Electric holds the cleaner structural position, with growth as the main driver and profitability adding further support. The remaining gap is narrow enough that the comparison remains open to different readings. The market setup broadly confirms the structural lead — Lincoln Electric holds the more constructive position. That puts structure and market broadly in agreement — Lincoln Electric's lead looks more confirmed than conflicted.

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 clearest separation starts in growth, with profitability adding a second layer of support. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. leads by 8 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.80
Similar
Peer-set rank: #19
within Donaldson Company, Inc.'s functional peer set

This pair is matched through 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 investment intensity and margin consistency.

Similarity drivers
investment intensitymargin consistency
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
DCI
Donaldson Company, Inc.
48
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.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: DCI vs LECO Profitability 38 55 Stability 58 53 Valuation 67 60 Growth 25 53 DCI LECO
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +28
#2 Profitability +17
#3 Valuation +7
#4 Stability +5
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for DCI and LECO Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer DCILECO Relative valuation Structural strength

Neither company combines the stronger profile with the cheaper valuation.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY DCI Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 7 pct gap LECO Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 92nd 99th
DCI (92nd 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
Growth
On growth, Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. is positioned higher in the group, while Donaldson Company, Inc. is closer to the middle.
Profitability
On profitability, Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. is positioned higher in the group, while Donaldson Company, Inc. is closer to the middle.
Growth — Dominant Gap
DCI
25
LECO
53
Gap+28in favour of LECO

The clearest distance comes from a stronger growth profile.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Donaldson Company, Inc. still looks less cycle-sensitive — that keeps the result from looking completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Growth is the clearest driver, and profitability also supports Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.'s broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

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Similar growth-and-profitability comparisons

Explore how DCI 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.