$1.89 Earnings Per Share Expected for Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) This Quarter

Equities analysts forecast that Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) will post $1.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Seven analysts have provided estimates for Illinois Tool Works’ earnings. The lowest EPS estimate is $1.79 and the highest is $1.94. Illinois Tool Works reported earnings of $1.77 per share in the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year over year growth rate of 6.8%. The company is expected to issue its next quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 4th.

On average, analysts expect that Illinois Tool Works will report full-year earnings of $7.93 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $7.82 to $8.09. For the next fiscal year, analysts expect that the business will report earnings of $8.63 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $8.14 to $9.33. Zacks’ EPS calculations are a mean average based on a survey of research firms that follow Illinois Tool Works.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.79 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $3.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.31 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 16.77% and a return on equity of 80.95%. Illinois Tool Works’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.87 earnings per share.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on ITW shares. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a report on Tuesday, February 23rd. Vertical Research raised shares of Illinois Tool Works from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 4th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $207.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $96.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 8th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Illinois Tool Works from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $209.00 to $235.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $204.41.

In other news, VP Norman D. Jr. Finch sold 7,232 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.00, for a total transaction of $1,468,096.00. Also, CEO Ernest Scott Santi sold 1,231 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.37, for a total transaction of $252,810.47. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 295,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,619,473.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.79% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Exeter Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Exeter Financial LLC now owns 8,164 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,664,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. AlphaStar Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Illinois Tool Works during the 4th quarter valued at about $705,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC grew its stake in Illinois Tool Works by 44.1% during the 3rd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 31,385 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,064,000 after acquiring an additional 9,604 shares in the last quarter. Sound Financial Strategies Group LLC purchased a new stake in Illinois Tool Works during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,217,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Illinois Tool Works during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,020,000. 77.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ITW stock traded down $1.05 during trading on Thursday, hitting $218.90. 24,777 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,133,616. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $213.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $205.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 2.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.81. Illinois Tool Works has a 1 year low of $148.27 and a 1 year high of $228.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.11, a PEG ratio of 3.88 and a beta of 1.07.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 31st will be given a $1.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 30th. This represents a $4.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.08%. Illinois Tool Works’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 58.84%.

About Illinois Tool Works

Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment offers plastic and metal components, fasteners, and assemblies for automobiles, light trucks, and other industrial uses.

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