GGG vs. ITW: Graco vs. Illinois Tool Works Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Graco (GGG) 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

Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) are both classified in the Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components sub-industry within the broader Machinery industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Profile Item	GGG	ITW
Name	Graco Inc.	Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Machinery	Machinery
GICS Sub-Industry	Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components	Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization	10.88 billion USD	79.85 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	March 17, 1980	March 13, 1973
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GGG

ITW

GSPC

Graco (GGG) 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 Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Graco (GGG) 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 Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	GGG	ITW
Total Return (1Y)	-12.76%	20.29%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	-1.59%	10.62%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-1.14%	6.67%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GGG

ITW

GSPC

Graco (GGG) 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 Graco (GGG) 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 Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	GGG	ITW
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	26.08%	22.16%
Beta (5Y)	0.87	0.91
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-29.55%	-28.05%
Avg. Volume (3M)	1.99M	1.27M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

GGG 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 Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	GGG	ITW
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.65	0.72
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.80	1.12

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 101.65% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Graco (GGG) at 20.38% also sits in the top quartile.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

20.38%

Max: 40.55%
GGG: 20.38%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

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%

Graco (GGG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Graco (GGG) at 22.40% and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 19.39% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

22.40%

Max: 27.47%
GGG: 22.40%
Q3: 12.10%
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%

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

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Graco (GGG) at 25.26% and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 28.05% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

25.26%

Max: 36.60%
GGG: 25.26%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
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%

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

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	GGG	ITW
ROE (TTM)	20.38%	101.65%
ROA (TTM)	12.02%	17.13%
Net Margin (TTM)	22.40%	19.39%
Operating Margin (TTM)	25.26%	28.05%
Gross Margin (TTM)	51.96%	44.32%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Graco (GGG) at 5.83% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 0.92% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Graco (GGG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Graco (GGG) at 9.22% 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.

Graco (GGG) vs. Illinois Tool Works (ITW): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	GGG	ITW
Revenue Growth (YoY)	5.83%	0.92%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	1.43%	0.23%
EPS Growth (YoY)	9.22%	-10.42%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	5.01%	2.40%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Graco (GGG) at 2.13 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.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

2.13

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
GGG: 2.13
Median: 2.08
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

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

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Graco (GGG) at 0.07 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 2.98 is above its industry debt-to-equity ratio range.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

0.07

Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
GGG: 0.07
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

Graco (GGG) 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 Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	GGG	ITW
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.13	1.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.07	2.98
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.03	1.76

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Graco (GGG) at 1.74% and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 2.29% offer top-quartile dividend income relative to share price within their industries.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

1.74%

Max: 2.66%
GGG: 1.74%
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%

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Graco (GGG) at 37.42% 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.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

37.42%

Max: 67.39%
GGG: 37.42%
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%

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

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	GGG	ITW
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.74%	2.29%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	37.42%	58.43%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Graco (GGG) at 21.89 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.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

21.89

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
Median: 25.41
GGG: 21.89
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

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

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Graco (GGG) at 4.71 and Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 4.80 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

4.71

Max: 7.54
GGG: 4.71
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
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

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

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Graco (GGG) at 4.41 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Illinois Tool Works (ITW) at 25.42 prices above its benchmark range — ITW looks rich relative to book.

GGG

Capital Goods industry group

4.41

Max: 9.66
Q3: 5.00
GGG: 4.41
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

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

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Graco (GGG) and Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
Metric	GGG	ITW
P/E Ratio (TTM)	21.89	25.06
P/S Ratio (TTM)	4.71	4.80
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	4.41	25.42
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	3.94%	2.89%