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

Illinois Tool Works holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and growth adding further support. IDEX does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. 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

Most of the visible separation comes from profitability. The overall score gap is 25 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. IEX and ITW share the same industry classification.

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

Peer-Relative Score
IEX
IDEX Corporation
40
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: IEX vs ITW Profitability 23 77 Stability 56 68 Valuation 52 65 Growth 31 44 IEX ITW
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +54
#2 Growth +13
#3 Valuation +13
#4 Stability +12
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for IEX and ITW Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer IEXITW Relative valuation Structural strength

Illinois Tool Works Inc. looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY IEX Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap ITW Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 99th
IEX (99th 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
Profitability
On profitability, Illinois Tool Works Inc. ranks near the top of the group; IDEX Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Growth
Illinois Tool Works Inc. sits higher in the group on growth, adding to the overall structural advantage.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
IEX
23
ITW
77
Gap+54in favour of ITW

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 17.9-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

IDEX Corporation still carries lower volatility exposure — that difference is real enough to prevent the comparison from becoming one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability is the clearest driver, and growth also supports Illinois Tool Works Inc.'s broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-driven comparisons

Explore how IEX 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.