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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Illinois Tool Works vs Advanced Drainage Systems: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Illinois Tool Works holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across stability and profitability. Advanced Drainage Systems does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

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 2026-05-17

The clearest separation starts in stability, but profitability adds another real layer to the result. Illinois Tool Works Inc. leads by 23 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.77
Similar
Peer-set rank: #31
within Illinois Tool Works 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.

The match is driven mainly by recent revenue growth and capital structure.

Similarity drivers
recent revenue growthcapital structure
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
ITW
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
WMS
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.
44
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
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: ITW vs WMS Profitability 85 44 Stability 63 18 Valuation 73 69 Growth 37 32 ITW WMS
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +45
#2 Profitability +41
#3 Growth +5
#4 Valuation +4
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ITW and WMS Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ITWWMS 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 ITW and WMS each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ITW Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 4 pct gap WMS Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 77th 72nd
ITW (77th percentile) and WMS (72nd percentile) sit at comparable positions within their own 5-year histories. 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
On stability, Illinois Tool Works Inc. is positioned higher in the group, while Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. is closer to the middle.
Profitability
Both profiles are strong on profitability, but Illinois Tool Works Inc. leads clearly.
Stability — Dominant Gap
ITW
63
WMS
18
Gap+45in favour of ITW

The clearest distance comes from a steadier profile over time.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. still looks less cycle-sensitive — that keeps the result from looking completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both stability and profitability, making it broader than a single-dimension result.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

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Similar stability-and-profitability comparisons

Explore how ITW and WMS 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.