Home Compare DOV vs ITW
Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Specialty Industrial Machinery

Dover vs Illinois Tool Works: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Illinois Tool Works holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across stability and profitability. Dover still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

The clearest separation starts in stability, but profitability adds another real layer to the result. The overall score gap is 9 points in favour of Illinois Tool Works Inc..

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Industrial Machinery

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. DOV and ITW share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Dover and Illinois Tool Works each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
DOV
Dover Corporation
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
ITW
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
65
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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: DOV vs ITW Profitability 49 77 Stability 38 68 Valuation 68 65 Growth 65 44 DOV ITW
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +30
#2 Profitability +28
#3 Growth +21
#4 Valuation +3
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for DOV and ITW Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer DOVITW Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup remains mixed because the stronger profile and the more supportive price setup do not sit on the same side.

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

Entry today — historical context

Where DOV and ITW each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY DOV Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 7 pct gap ITW Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 92nd 99th
DOV (92nd percentile) and ITW (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
Stability
Illinois Tool Works Inc. ranks near the top of the group on stability; Dover Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Profitability
On profitability, the edge is clear — both rank well, but Illinois Tool Works Inc. sits noticeably higher.
Stability — Dominant Gap
DOV
38
ITW
68
Gap+30in favour of ITW

The stability gap is wide, with the stronger side looking materially steadier through time.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

A meaningful counterforce remains in growth, which keeps the comparison from looking completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both stability and profitability — though growth still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the DOV vs ITW comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how DOV and ITW 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.