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

Illinois Tool Works holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across stability and profitability. Lennox International 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 S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

This is not just a one-metric split: both stability and profitability materially support the lead. Illinois Tool Works Inc. leads by 19 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.79
Similar
Peer-set rank: #15
within Illinois Tool Works Inc.'s functional peer set

This comparison is anchored in 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 investment intensity and revenue growth trajectory.

Similarity drivers
investment intensityrevenue growth trajectory
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.
66
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
LII
Lennox International Inc.
47
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: ITW vs LII Profitability 85 54 Stability 64 23 Valuation 69 71 Growth 37 23 ITW LII
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +41
#2 Profitability +31
#3 Growth +14
#4 Valuation +2
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ITW and LII Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ITWLII Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup stays mixed because structure and the price setup do not align cleanly in one direction.

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ITW Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 10 pct gap LII Neutral · below norm 0th 50th 100th 77th 67th
ITW (77th percentile) and LII (67th 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
Illinois Tool Works Inc. sits in the stronger part of the group on stability, while Lennox International Inc. is closer to mid-pack.
Profitability
Both profiles are strong on profitability, but Illinois Tool Works Inc. leads clearly.
Stability — Dominant Gap
ITW
64
LII
23
Gap+41in favour of ITW

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

What else supports the lead

Profitability gives the lead a second hard layer of support, with a 11.4-point operating margin advantage.

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 LII comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Similar stability-and-profitability comparisons

Explore how ITW and LII 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.