Benjamin Edwards Inc. Sells 10,561 Shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. $ITW

Key Points

• Insider selling: Director Ernest Scott Santi sold 167,345 shares at an average $290.93 (≈$48.7M) and EVP Axel Beck sold 4,223 shares, leaving company insiders with just 0.83% ownership.
• Earnings beat and raised guidance: ITW topped Q1 estimates (EPS $2.66 vs $2.57; revenue $4.02B, +4.6% YoY) and raised FY‑2026 guidance to $11.10–$11.50, supporting buybacks/dividends.
• Institutional and analyst positioning: Benjamin Edwards cut its stake by 5.2% (sold 10,561 shares) to 191,192 shares (~$47.1M); institutional ownership is ~79.8% while analysts' consensus rating is "Reduce" with a $269.69 price target.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. cut its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW - Free Report) by 5.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 191,192 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 10,561 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of Illinois Tool Works worth $47,105,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of ITW. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Illinois Tool Works by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Revisor Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Illinois Tool Works by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Revisor Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,841 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $734,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Concord Asset Management LLC VA grew its position 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 worth $884,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its position in Illinois Tool Works by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 3,015 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $743,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JFS Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Illinois Tool Works by 22.3% during the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 219 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. 79.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ernest Scott Santi sold 167,345 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $290.93, for a total transaction of $48,685,680.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 258,766 shares of the company's stock, valued at $75,282,792.38. This trade represents a 39.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Axel Beck sold 4,223 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.22, for a total value of $1,225,599.06. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,789 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,680,083.58. This trade represents a 42.18% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.83% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Illinois Tool Works Trading Down 0.9%

ITW opened at $255.58 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $73.63 billion, a PE ratio of 23.73, a PEG ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04. The business has a 50 day moving average of $270.96 and a 200-day moving average of $261.77. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 52 week low of $236.68 and a 52 week high of $303.15.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.57 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.01 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 97.36% and a net margin of 19.32%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.38 EPS. Illinois Tool Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.100-11.500 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 11.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Illinois Tool Works Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were given a dividend of $1.61 per share. This represents a $6.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. Illinois Tool Works's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Truist Financial raised their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Illinois Tool Works from $284.00 to $287.00 in a report on Friday. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $285.00 price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Illinois Tool Works from $275.00 to $250.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Wolfe Research increased their price objective on Illinois Tool Works from $276.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $269.69.

Trending Headlines about Illinois Tool Works

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and guidance raise — ITW topped EPS and revenue expectations, delivered a 12% jump in GAAP EPS and expanded operating margin; management nudged FY‑2026 GAAP EPS higher to $11.10–$11.50, supporting the company’s earnings story. ITW Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Operational leverage / margin and cash‑flow improvement — Enterprise initiatives helped expand margins ~60 bps and management highlighted stronger cash flow, which supports buybacks/dividends and EPS quality. Illinois Tool Surpasses Q1 Earnings Estimates, Updates 2026 View
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan trims target but stays constructive — JPM lowered its price target from $303 to $295 but retained an Overweight rating, leaving a multi‑year upside scenario if execution continues. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst / op‑ed caution — Some market commentary (e.g., Seeking Alpha) frames 2026 as “tricky” and recommends a Hold given mixed demand signals, which may temper momentum even after the beat. Illinois Tool Works: Tricky In 2026, I Say 'Hold'
• Negative Sentiment: Muted organic growth and uneven segments — Organic revenue growth was nearly flat (low single digits or ~0.4% reported), with several end‑market segments showing declines; investors are worried the beat was more margin/tax driven than demand driven. ITW slides as investors focus on muted organic growth despite Q1 beat and higher EPS outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Relative underperformance / profit‑taking — Coverage notes ITW underperformed peers on the day; with a strong prior run, some investors used the quarter to take profits, amplifying downside pressure. Illinois Tool Works Inc. stock underperforms Thursday

About Illinois Tool Works

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.

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