Vanguard Group Inc. Has $6.62 Billion Stake in Illinois Tool Works Inc. $ITW

Key Points

• Vanguard increased its stake by 0.7% to 26,887,218 shares (about 9.27% of Illinois Tool Works) valued at $6.62 billion after adding 189,229 shares in Q4.
• Significant insider selling: Director Ernest Scott Santi sold 167,345 shares for roughly $48.7 million (a 39% reduction) and EVP Axel Beck sold 4,223 shares, leaving corporate insiders with 0.83% ownership.
• Mixed outlook despite solid results: ITW slightly beat quarterly EPS and set FY2026 guidance of $11.00–$11.40, but analysts’ consensus is a “Reduce” with a $270 target; the stock carries a $6.44 annual dividend (2.4% yield).

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW - Free Report) by 0.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 26,887,218 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 189,229 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 9.27% of Illinois Tool Works worth $6,622,322,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec boosted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 293.0% in the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 424,547 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $110,705,000 after purchasing an additional 316,512 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 316.3% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 366,012 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $90,149,000 after purchasing an additional 278,085 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in Illinois Tool Works by 161.3% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 400,152 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $104,344,000 after purchasing an additional 246,994 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in Illinois Tool Works during the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,737,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Illinois Tool Works by 15.5% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,156,043 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $301,467,000 after buying an additional 155,105 shares in the last quarter. 79.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Illinois Tool Works

In other Illinois Tool Works news, Director Ernest Scott Santi sold 167,345 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director directly owned 258,766 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $75,282,792.38. The trade was a 39.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Axel Beck sold 4,223 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.22, for a total transaction of $1,225,599.06. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,789 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,680,083.58. The trade was a 42.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.83% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ITW. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wolfe Research boosted their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $276.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $270.00 to $245.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "sell" rating and issued a $253.00 price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Illinois Tool Works from $327.00 to $303.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Illinois Tool Works currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $270.00.

Illinois Tool Works Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE ITW opened at $269.44 on Monday. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 1-year low of $228.76 and a 1-year high of $303.15. The company has a 50-day moving average of $273.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of $261.33. The company has a market cap of $77.62 billion, a PE ratio of 25.69, a P/E/G ratio of 4.84 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.07.

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

Illinois Tool Works Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were given a dividend of $1.61 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $6.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Illinois Tool Works's payout ratio is presently 61.39%.

Key Stories Impacting Illinois Tool Works

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 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ITW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.