LECO vs. WWD: Lincoln Electric vs. Woodward Stock Comparison
How do Lincoln Electric (LECO) and Woodward (WWD) 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
Lincoln Electric (LECO) and Woodward (WWD) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but LECO is classified in Machinery while WWD is classified in Aerospace & Defense.
| Profile Item | LECO | WWD |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. | Woodward, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Capital Goods | Capital Goods |
| GICS Industry | Machinery | Aerospace & Defense |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components | Aerospace & Defense |
| Market Capitalization | 14.91 billion USD | 18.74 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | April 7, 1994 | April 4, 1994 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | LECO | WWD |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 27.30% | 25.66% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.31% | 36.83% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 16.33% | 23.54% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | LECO | WWD |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 31.13% | 40.29% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.17 | 0.87 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -34.29% | -37.25% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 409.99K | 665.85K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | LECO | WWD |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.74 | 0.53 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.11 | 0.85 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 38.75% and Woodward (WWD) at 22.34% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
38.75%
- Max
- 40.55%
- LECO
- 38.75%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
22.34%
- Max
- 40.55%
- WWD
- 22.34%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 12.40% and Woodward (WWD) at 13.17% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
12.40%
- Max
- 27.47%
- LECO
- 12.40%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
13.17%
- Max
- 27.47%
- WWD
- 13.17%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 18.29% and Woodward (WWD) at 17.76% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
18.29%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- LECO
- 18.29%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
17.76%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- WWD
- 17.76%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | LECO | WWD |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 38.75% | 22.34% |
| ROA (TTM) | 13.32% | 8.62% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 12.40% | 13.17% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 18.29% | 17.76% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 35.54% | 29.63% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 5.60% and Woodward (WWD) at 7.30% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 14.36% and Woodward (WWD) at 19.63% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | LECO | WWD |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 5.60% | 7.30% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.02% | 14.40% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 14.36% | 19.63% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 5.05% | 38.44% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 1.91 and Woodward (WWD) at 1.65 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
1.91
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- LECO
- 1.91
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.36
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
1.65
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- WWD
- 1.65
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.36
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 0.78 and Woodward (WWD) at 0.56 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
0.78
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- LECO
- 0.78
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.00
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
0.56
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.60
- WWD
- 0.56
- Q1
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | LECO | WWD |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.91 | 1.65 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.78 | 0.56 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.00 | 1.13 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 1.16% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Woodward (WWD) at 0.32% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, LECO the richer one.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
1.16%
- Max
- 2.66%
- LECO
- 1.16%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
0.32%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- WWD
- 0.32%
- Median
- 0.24%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Woodward (WWD) at 13.35% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 30.30% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
30.30%
- Max
- 67.39%
- LECO
- 30.30%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
13.35%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- WWD
- 13.35%
- Median
- 6.86%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | LECO | WWD |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.16% | 0.32% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 30.30% | 13.35% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 26.40 and Woodward (WWD) at 35.30 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
26.40
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- LECO
- 26.40
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
35.30
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- WWD
- 35.30
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 3.21 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Woodward (WWD) at 4.47 sits in the pricier quartile — WWD costs more per dollar of sales.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
3.21
- Max
- 7.54
- Q3
- 3.76
- LECO
- 3.21
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
4.47
- Max
- 7.54
- WWD
- 4.47
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 9.59 and Woodward (WWD) at 7.60 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
LECO
Capital Goods industry group
9.59
- Max
- 9.66
- LECO
- 9.59
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
WWD
Capital Goods industry group
7.60
- Max
- 9.66
- WWD
- 7.60
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | LECO | WWD |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 26.40 | 35.30 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.21 | 4.47 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 9.59 | 7.60 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.68% | 1.00% |