FERG vs. ITW: Ferguson Enterprises vs. Illinois Tool Works Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but FERG is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while ITW is classified in Machinery.

Company profile comparison for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Profile Item	FERG	ITW
Name	Ferguson Enterprises Inc.	Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Trading Companies & Distributors	Machinery
GICS Sub-Industry	Trading Companies & Distributors	Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization	45.21 billion USD	79.85 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 5, 2010	March 13, 1973
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

FERG

ITW

GSPC

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	FERG	ITW
Total Return (1Y)	6.92%	20.29%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	20.73%	10.62%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	13.21%	6.67%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

FERG

ITW

GSPC

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	FERG	ITW
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	32.85%	22.16%
Beta (5Y)	1.08	0.91
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-43.31%	-28.05%
Avg. Volume (3M)	1.46M	1.27M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

FERG and ITW are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	FERG	ITW
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.08	0.72
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.12	1.12

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Illinois Tool Works (ITW) earns 101.65% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) has no ROE this period.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

Max: 40.55%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%
FERG: --

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

101.65%

ITW: 101.65%
Max: 40.55%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): FERG does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; ITW is benchmarked against the Capital Goods industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 19.39% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 6.32%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

6.32%

Max: 27.47%
Q3: 12.10%
FERG: 6.32%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

19.39%

Max: 27.47%
ITW: 19.39%
Q3: 12.10%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 28.05% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 10.16%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

10.16%

Max: 36.60%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
FERG: 10.16%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

28.05%

Max: 36.60%
ITW: 28.05%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	FERG	ITW
ROE (TTM)	--	101.65%
ROA (TTM)	--	17.13%
Net Margin (TTM)	6.32%	19.39%
Operating Margin (TTM)	10.16%	28.05%
Gross Margin (TTM)	30.63%	44.32%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Only one side can be read here: Illinois Tool Works (ITW) reports revenue growth of 0.92%, ranked against its industry; Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) has no revenue growth figure this period.

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 19.11% and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at -10.42% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	FERG	ITW
Revenue Growth (YoY)	--	0.92%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	0.23%
EPS Growth (YoY)	19.11%	-10.42%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	2.40%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 1.73 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 1.29 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ITW.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

1.73

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
FERG: 1.73
Q1: 1.43
Min: 0.36

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

1.29

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.43
ITW: 1.29
Min: 0.36

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 1.11 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 2.98 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

1.11

Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
FERG: 1.11
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

2.98

ITW: 2.98
Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	FERG	ITW
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.73	1.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	1.11	2.98
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.10	1.76

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 1.80% and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 2.29% offer top-quartile dividend income relative to share price within their industries.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

1.80%

Max: 2.66%
FERG: 1.80%
Q3: 1.14%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

2.29%

Max: 2.66%
ITW: 2.29%
Q3: 1.14%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 33.57% and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 58.43% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

33.57%

Max: 67.39%
FERG: 33.57%
Q3: 28.02%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

58.43%

Max: 67.39%
ITW: 58.43%
Q3: 28.02%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	FERG	ITW
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.80%	2.29%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	33.57%	58.43%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 23.00 and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 25.06 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

23.00

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
Median: 25.41
FERG: 23.00
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

25.06

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
Median: 25.41
ITW: 25.06
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 1.44 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 4.80 sits in the pricier quartile — ITW costs more per dollar of sales.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

1.44

Max: 7.54
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
FERG: 1.44
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

4.80

Max: 7.54
ITW: 4.80
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 7.29 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 25.42 prices even higher, above its industry range.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

7.29

Max: 9.66
FERG: 7.29
Q3: 5.00
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

ITW

Capital Goods industry group

25.42

ITW: 25.42
Max: 9.66
Q3: 5.00
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	FERG	ITW
P/E Ratio (TTM)	23.00	25.06
P/S Ratio (TTM)	1.44	4.80
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	7.29	25.42
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	--	2.89%