Illinois Tool Works Inc. $ITW Stock Acquired by Gradient Investments LLC

Key Points

• Gradient Investments increased its Illinois Tool Works stake by 10.6% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 68,661 shares valued at approximately $17.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.77% of ITW.
• Illinois Tool Works reported quarterly results above expectations, with $2.84 in earnings per share and $4.30 billion in revenue; the company guided to fiscal 2026 EPS of $11.35–$11.55.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.72 per share, or $6.88 annually, yielding about 2.6%. Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with an average “Reduce” rating and a $282 price target.

Gradient Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW - Free Report) by 10.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 68,661 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 6,573 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC's holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $17,665,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Crown Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Crown Wealth Group LLC now owns 953 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $248,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Argos Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Illinois Tool Works by 2.6% during the first quarter. Argos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,526 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $397,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Illinois Tool Works by 21.5% in the second quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 226 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. lifted its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 8,191 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,132,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 1,111 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $289,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.77% of the company's stock.

Illinois Tool Works Price Performance

ITW stock traded up $2.58 during trading on Thursday, hitting $263.73. The stock had a trading volume of 444,509 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,379,489. The stock has a market cap of $75.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company's 50 day moving average price is $276.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $268.15. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 1-year low of $238.82 and a 1-year high of $303.15.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.80 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $4.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.19 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 101.72% and a net margin of 19.39%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.58 EPS. Illinois Tool Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.350-11.550 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 11.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Illinois Tool Works Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a $1.72 dividend. This is a boost from Illinois Tool Works's previous quarterly dividend of $1.61. This represents a $6.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th. Illinois Tool Works's dividend payout ratio is 62.38%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on ITW shares. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on Illinois Tool Works from $308.00 to $297.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $310.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $287.00 to $281.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Wolfe Research reiterated an "underperform" rating and issued a $286.00 price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Illinois Tool Works from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Illinois Tool Works currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $282.00.

Insider Activity at Illinois Tool Works

In other Illinois Tool Works news, CAO Matteo C. Pigozzo sold 277 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $289.22, for a total transaction of $80,113.94. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,394 shares in the company, valued at $981,612.68. This represents a 7.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ernest Santi sold 41,431 shares of Illinois Tool Works stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $287.09, for a total value of $11,894,425.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 266,288 shares in the company, valued at $76,448,621.92. This represents a 13.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.83% of the company's stock.

Illinois Tool Works Profile

Illinois Tool Works Inc NYSE: ITW is a diversified industrial manufacturer that develops and produces engineered products and systems for customers worldwide. The company serves a broad range of end markets, including automotive, construction, food service, welding, electronics, and general industry.

ITW's product portfolio includes automotive components and fasteners, commercial food equipment, welding equipment and consumables, test and measurement instruments, electronic components, polymers and fluids, construction fastening systems, and other specialized industrial products.

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