IDEX (IEX) Competitors

Nordson (NASDAQ:NDSN) and IDEX (NYSE:IEX) are both large-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, media sentiment, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, valuation and dividends.

Does the media favor NDSN or IEX?

In the previous week, IDEX had 4 more articles in the media than Nordson. MarketBeat recorded 13 mentions for IDEX and 9 mentions for Nordson. Nordson's average media sentiment score of 1.44 beat IDEX's score of 1.32 indicating that Nordson is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Nordson	8 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
IDEX	11 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has stronger earnings and valuation, NDSN or IEX?

IDEX has higher revenue and earnings than Nordson. IDEX is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Nordson, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Nordson	$2.78B	4.56	$467.28M	$7.96	28.41
IDEX	$3.34B	3.69	$505M	$6.19	26.47

Do analysts rate NDSN or IEX?

Nordson currently has a consensus price target of $255.75, indicating a potential upside of 13.10%. IDEX has a consensus price target of $201.71, indicating a potential upside of 23.10%. Given IDEX's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe IDEX is more favorable than Nordson.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Nordson	0 Sell rating(s)	6 Hold rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.55
IDEX	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.83

Is NDSN or IEX a better dividend stock?

Nordson pays an annual dividend of $3.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.5%. IDEX pays an annual dividend of $2.84 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. Nordson pays out 41.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. IDEX pays out 45.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Nordson has raised its dividend for 62 consecutive years and IDEX has raised its dividend for 16 consecutive years.

Which has more volatility and risk, NDSN or IEX?

Nordson has a beta of 0.94, suggesting that its share price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, IDEX has a beta of 1.02, suggesting that its share price is 2% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Is NDSN or IEX more profitable?

Nordson has a net margin of 16.34% compared to IDEX's net margin of 14.05%. Nordson's return on equity of 19.45% beat IDEX's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Nordson	16.34%	19.45%	9.55%
IDEX	14.05%	15.16%	8.60%

Do insiders and institutionals hold more shares of NDSN or IEX?

72.1% of Nordson shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 98.0% of IDEX shares are held by institutional investors. 0.8% of Nordson shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of IDEX shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Nordson beats IDEX on 11 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.