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IDEX vs Nordson: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Nordson leads structurally, with profitability as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. 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 2026-05-17

Profitability still does most of the heavy lifting in this comparison. The overall score gap is 11 points in favour of Nordson Corporation.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Industrial Machinery

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
IEX
IDEX Corporation
47
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
NDSN
Nordson Corporation
58
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The clearest separation appears in profitability.

Dimension spread: IEX vs NDSN Profitability 19 46 Stability 47 54 Valuation 58 59 Growth 74 76 IEX NDSN
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +27
#2 Stability +7
#3 Growth +2
#4 Valuation +1
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for IEX and NDSN Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer IEXNDSN 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 IEX and NDSN each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY IEX Neutral · above norm 0th 50th 100th 33 pct gap NDSN Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 64th 97th
Today IEX sits in the upper-middle of its own 5-year history (64th percentile), while NDSN sits higher in its own history (97th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, IEX is at a historically more favourable entry position than NDSN. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Nordson Corporation sits higher in the group on profitability, adding to the overall structural advantage.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
IEX
19
NDSN
46
Gap+27in favour of NDSN

Return on equity adds support too, with a 4.7-point advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

IDEX Corporation still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

One dimension still does most of the work here, even if the score points the same way overall.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-driven comparisons

Explore how IEX and NDSN 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.