Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW) Hits New 12-Month High After Earnings Beat

Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $282.88 and last traded at $279.9580, with a volume of 1248807 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $264.21.

The industrial products company reported $2.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $4.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.07 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 19.05% and a return on equity of 93.26%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.54 EPS. Illinois Tool Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.000-11.400 EPS.

Key Illinois Tool Works News

Here are the key news stories impacting Illinois Tool Works this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 and full?year results beat expectations: Full?year GAAP EPS was $10.49 on $16.0B revenue; Q4 revenue was $4.09B with GAAP EPS of $2.72. Management highlighted operating?margin expansion, supporting profitability. ITW Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly beat and margin detail: Q4 EPS of $2.72 topped consensus and operating margin rose to ~26.5% as enterprise initiatives added meaningful bps — a sign of durable margin improvement. Illinois Tool Works Posts Higher 4Q Profit, Revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance shows mid?single digit EPS growth and margin expansion: FY?2026 EPS guidance of $11.00–$11.40 (midpoint ? $11.20) implies about 7% growth at midpoint and management expects ~100 bps of margin expansion from initiatives — supporting forward earnings momentum. Illinois Tool Works Stock Smashes 52-Week High After Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary and EPS growth outlook: Coverage notes the beats and highlights an expected ~7% EPS growth for 2026, which helps explain analyst and investor enthusiasm. Illinois Tool Works beats Q4 estimates, forecasts 7% EPS growth for 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance largely in line with Street: The FY?2026 EPS and revenue ranges are close to consensus, so while guidance is constructive, it’s not a major upside surprise versus analyst expectations. Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Reports Q4 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and long?term profile reinforce investor appeal: ITW’s track record of dividend growth and status among dividend “aristocrats” supports income?focused investors’ interest following the beat. Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Maintains Dividend Growth Through Business Cycles

Analyst Ratings Changes

ITW has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America raised Illinois Tool Works from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $220.00 to $255.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Illinois Tool Works from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $258.00 to $230.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $245.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $298.00 to $275.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Wolfe Research upped their price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $264.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $258.25.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Pamela B. Strobel sold 1,521 shares of Illinois Tool Works stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.25, for a total value of $373,025.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 39,249 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,625,817.25. The trade was a 3.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.88% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $262,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Revisor Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Revisor Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,841 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $734,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Concord Asset Management LLC VA increased its holdings in Illinois Tool Works by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Concord Asset Management LLC VA now owns 3,591 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $884,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Northcape Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Illinois Tool Works by 2.1% during the second quarter. Northcape Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,922 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $475,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 4.2% in the second quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 988 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.77% of the company’s stock.

Illinois Tool Works Stock Up 6.0%

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $253.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $254.97. The company has a market cap of $81.25 billion, a PE ratio of 27.17, a P/E/G ratio of 13.99 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39.

Illinois Tool Works Company Profile

Illinois Tool Works Inc (ITW) is a diversified industrial manufacturer that designs and produces a broad array of engineered products, consumables and related service solutions for industrial customers. Its offerings span engineered fastening systems, specialty components, industrial equipment, welding products, foodservice and packaging equipment, adhesives and polymer products, and test-and-measurement technologies. These products are used as critical inputs by customers across automotive, construction, electronics, foodservice, maintenance and other industrial end markets.

The company operates a decentralized business model in which independently managed businesses focus on niche product lines and close customer relationships.