Huntleigh Advisors Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in Illinois Tool Works Inc. $ITW

Key Points

• Huntleigh Advisors cut its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 48.7% in Q4, selling 7,924 shares and ending the quarter with 8,352 shares valued at about $2.06 million.
• Illinois Tool Works slightly beat last-quarter estimates (EPS $2.72 vs. $2.69) and set FY2026 guidance of $11.00–$11.40 EPS, with analysts forecasting roughly $11.26 for the year.
• Insider activity and sentiment are mixed: Director Ernest Scott Santi sold 167,345 shares (~$48.7M, a 39% reduction), while MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Reduce" amid varied analyst price targets.

Huntleigh Advisors Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW - Free Report) by 48.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,352 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 7,924 shares during the quarter. Huntleigh Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $2,057,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,887,218 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $6,622,322,000 after purchasing an additional 189,229 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 4,493,555 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,171,740,000 after purchasing an additional 131,702 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 3,650,562 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $951,921,000 after purchasing an additional 55,416 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,587,639 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $674,871,000 after purchasing an additional 33,171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,333,765 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $608,552,000 after purchasing an additional 7,372 shares during the last quarter. 79.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Illinois Tool Works News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects ITW to report earnings growth next week; analysts see the company as having the right setup for a likely beat, which supports near-term upside into the report. Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth (Zacks)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst write-up positions ITW as a top defensive stock (ranked 6th on a defensive list), highlighting its 80/20 front-to-back process and steady cash generation — a reason some investors buy on weakness. Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW): Emerging as Premier Defensive Play
• Neutral Sentiment: General coverage names ITW among large-cap stocks to watch; this is broad interest/visibility but not new company-specific catalyst. 1 Large-Cap Stock Worth Your Attention and 2 We Find Risky
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch notes ITW underperformed rivals on Friday, signaling relative weakness vs. peers that can amplify selling when sector sentiment turns cautious. Illinois Tool Works Inc. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitors
• Negative Sentiment: Peer Allegion flagged rising costs and FX headwinds ahead of earnings — signals that cost/forex pressure is present across industrial peers and could temper ITW’s margin outlook. Allegion Gears Up to Post Q1 Earnings: Is a Beat in the Offing?
• Negative Sentiment: IDEX warned of weak end-market demand in parts (fire safety) and rising costs — another indicator of demand/margin pressure in the industrials group. IDEX Gears Up to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in the Cards?
• Negative Sentiment: Gates Industrial is expected to report an earnings decline, reflecting weaker industrial demand in parts of the cycle — a caution for investors watching momentum across the space. Analysts Estimate Gates Industrial (GTES) to Report a Decline in Earnings: What to Look Out for
• Negative Sentiment: Avery Dennison’s preview highlights margin pressures and a negative earnings surprise signal — adds to the theme of input-cost and margin risk across packaging/industrial stocks. Avery Dennison to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in Store for the Stock?

Illinois Tool Works Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:ITW opened at $269.44 on Friday. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 52-week low of $228.76 and a 52-week high of $303.15. The stock has a market cap of $77.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.69, a PEG ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.07. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $273.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $261.27.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The industrial products company reported $2.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.69 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $4.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.07 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 95.16% and a net margin of 19.11%.Illinois Tool Works's quarterly revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.54 earnings per share. Illinois Tool Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.000-11.400 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 11.26 EPS for the current year.

Illinois Tool Works Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. Illinois Tool Works's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Barclays decreased their price objective on Illinois Tool Works from $275.00 to $250.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $327.00 to $303.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "sell" rating and issued a $253.00 price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $270.00.

Insider Activity at Illinois Tool Works

In related news, Director Ernest Scott Santi sold 167,345 shares of Illinois Tool Works 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 directly owned 258,766 shares in the company, valued at approximately $75,282,792.38. This trade represents a 39.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Axel Beck sold 4,223 shares of Illinois Tool Works 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 owned 5,789 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,680,083.58. This represents a 42.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.83% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

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