Illinois Tool Works (STU:ILT) Beneish M-Score: -2.43 (As of Jun. 25, 2026)


STU:ILT Illinois Tool Works Inc STU:ILT
83 GF Score
Price €232.20
GF Value €234.19
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 1 Warning Sign
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What is Illinois Tool Works Beneish M-Score?

Illinois Tool Works STU:ILT +0.78% 83 Beneish M-Score is -2.43 as of Jun. 25, 2026. GuruFocus rates STU:ILT with a GF Score™ of 83/100 and a GF Value™ of €234.19 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 1 warning sign investors should review. Among 2,926 Industrial Products companies, Illinois Tool Works ranks worse than 52.53% on this metric.

The zones of discrimination for M-Score is as such:

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Good Sign:

Beneish M-Score -2.43 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

The historical rank and industry rank for Illinois Tool Works's Beneish M-Score or its related term are showing as below:

STU:ILT' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -2.96   Med: -2.56   Max: -2.18
Current: -2.43

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Illinois Tool Works was -2.18. The lowest was -2.96. And the median was -2.56.


Illinois Tool Works Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Illinois Tool Works's Beneish M-Score can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Illinois Tool Works Beneish M-Score Chart

Illinois Tool Works Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.29 -2.27 -2.68 -2.61 -2.41

Illinois Tool Works Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Beneish M-Score Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.60 -2.50 -2.55 -2.41 -2.43

STU:ILT vs EMR, CMI, AME: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Specialty Industrial Machinery subindustry, Illinois Tool Works's Beneish M-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Beneish M-Score data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Illinois Tool Works Beneish M-Score vs Industrial Products Industry

For the Industrial Products industry and Industrials sector, Illinois Tool Works's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Illinois Tool Works's Beneish M-Score falls into.


STU:ILT
83GF Score
Illinois Tool Works Inc STU:ILT
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Illinois Tool Works Beneish M-Score Calculation

The M-score was created by Professor Messod Beneish. Instead of measuring the bankruptcy risk (Altman Z-Score) or business trend (Piotroski F-Score), M-score can be used to detect the risk of earnings manipulation. This is the original research paper on M-score.

The M-Score Variables:

The M-score of Illinois Tool Works for today is based on a combination of the following eight different indices:

M=-4.84+0.92 * DSRI+0.528 * GMI+0.404 * AQI+0.892 * SGI+0.115 * DEPI
=-4.84+0.92 * 1.0513+0.528 * 0.9906+0.404 * 0.9968+0.892 * 0.9536+0.115 * 1.0642
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 1.0043+4.679 * -0.00169-0.327 * 1.026
=-2.49

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

This Year (Mar26) TTM:Last Year (Mar25) TTM:
Total Receivables was €2,924 Mil.
Revenue was 3473.84 + 3495.422 + 3458.268 + 3513.951 = €13,941 Mil.
Gross Profit was 1522.4 + 1544.886 + 1538.712 + 1544.994 = €6,151 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €5,480 Mil.
Total Assets was €14,068 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €1,929 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €345 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €2,403 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €4,611 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €5,712 Mil.
Net Income was 664.32 + 674.66 + 699.492 + 654.585 = €2,693 Mil.
Non Operating Income was 17.3 + -22.204 + 10.224 + 3.468 = €9 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 538.895 + 822.402 + 869.892 + 476.85 = €2,708 Mil.
Total Receivables was €2,917 Mil.
Revenue was 3551.075 + 3755.06 + 3573.366 + 3741.083 = €14,621 Mil.
Gross Profit was 1552.15 + 1634.005 + 1564.136 + 1639.685 = €6,390 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €5,584 Mil.
Total Assets was €14,308 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €1,929 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €371 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €2,509 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €3,497 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €6,736 Mil.




1. DSRI = Days Sales in Receivables Index

Measured as the ratio of Revenue in Total Receivables in year t to year t-1.

A large increase in DSR could be indicative of revenue inflation.

DSRI=(Receivables_t / Revenue_t) / (Receivables_t-1 / Revenue_t-1)
=(2923.7 / 13941.481) / (2916.525 / 14620.584)
=0.209712 / 0.199481
=1.0513

2. GMI = Gross Margin Index

Measured as the ratio of gross margin in year t-1 to gross margin in year t.

Gross margin has deteriorated when this index is above 1. A firm with poorer prospects is more likely to manipulate earnings.

GMI=GrossMargin_t-1 / GrossMargin_t
=(GrossProfit_t-1 / Revenue_t-1) / (GrossProfit_t / Revenue_t)
=(6389.976 / 14620.584) / (6150.992 / 13941.481)
=0.437053 / 0.441201
=0.9906

3. AQI = Asset Quality Index

AQI is the ratio of asset quality in year t to year t-1.

Asset quality is measured as the ratio of non-current assets other than Property, Plant and Equipment to Total Assets.

AQI=(1 - (CurrentAssets_t + PPE_t) / TotalAssets_t) / (1 - (CurrentAssets_t-1 + PPE_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=(1 - (5479.775 + 1928.95) / 14068.36) / (1 - (5584.225 + 1928.625) / 14307.9)
=0.473377 / 0.474916
=0.9968

4. SGI = Sales Growth Index

Ratio of Revenue in year t to sales in year t-1.

Sales growth is not itself a measure of manipulation. However, growth companies are likely to find themselves under pressure to manipulate in order to keep up appearances.

SGI=Sales_t / Sales_t-1
=Revenue_t / Revenue_t-1
=13941.481 / 14620.584
=0.9536

5. DEPI = Depreciation Index

Measured as the ratio of the rate of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization in year t-1 to the corresponding rate in year t.

DEPI greater than 1 indicates that assets are being depreciated at a slower rate. This suggests that the firm might be revising useful asset life assumptions upwards, or adopting a new method that is income friendly.

DEPI=(Depreciation_t-1 / (Depreciaton_t-1 + PPE_t-1)) / (Depreciation_t / (Depreciaton_t + PPE_t))
=(370.96 / (370.96 + 1928.625)) / (344.63 / (344.63 + 1928.95))
=0.161316 / 0.15158
=1.0642

Note: If the Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization data is not available, we assume that the depreciation rate is constant and set the Depreciation Index to 1.

6. SGAI = Sales, General and Administrative expenses Index

The ratio of Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) to Sales in year t relative to year t-1.

SGA expenses index > 1 means that the company is becoming less efficient in generate sales.

SGAI=(SGA_t / Sales_t) / (SGA_t-1 /Sales_t-1)
=(2402.529 / 13941.481) / (2508.727 / 14620.584)
=0.17233 / 0.171589
=1.0043

7. LVGI = Leverage Index

The ratio of total debt to Total Assets in year t relative to yeat t-1.

An LVGI > 1 indicates an increase in leverage

LVGI=((LTD_t + CurrentLiabilities_t) / TotalAssets_t) / ((LTD_t-1 + CurrentLiabilities_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=((5711.595 + 4611.315) / 14068.36) / ((6735.85 + 3496.5) / 14307.9)
=0.733768 / 0.715154
=1.026

8. TATA = Total Accruals to Total Assets

Total accruals calculated as the change in working capital accounts other than cash less depreciation.

TATA=(IncomefromContinuingOperations_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(NetIncome_t - NonOperatingIncome_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(2693.057 - 8.788 - 2708.039) / 14068.36
=-0.00169

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator. An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Illinois Tool Works has a M-score of -2.49 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Beneish M-Score →
What does a Beneish M-Score of -2.43 mean?
Illinois Tool Works (STU:ILT) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.43 as of Jun. 25, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Illinois Tool Works and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Illinois Tool Works ranks #1537 out of 2926 companies in the Industrial Products industry, placing it in the top 52.5%.
Is Illinois Tool Works' Beneish M-Score too high?
Illinois Tool Works' current Beneish M-Score is -2.43. Based on the distribution chart, Illinois Tool Works ranks #1537 out of 2926 companies in the Industrial Products industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Illinois Tool Works has a GF Score™ of 83/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Illinois Tool Works' Beneish M-Score compare to EMR and CMI?
According to the Industrial Products industry distribution chart, Illinois Tool Works ranks #1537 out of 2926 companies for Beneish M-Score. This places Illinois Tool Works in the lower half of its industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Beneish M-Score for an Industrial Products company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Industrial Products industry context. However, Beneish M-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Beneish M-Score mean?
A high Beneish M-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Illinois Tool Works and its competitors. Illinois Tool Works's current Beneish M-Score is -2.43. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Illinois Tool Works stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Illinois Tool Works (STU:ILT) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is €234.19, compared to a current price of €232.20 — trading 0.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.43. Illinois Tool Works' overall GF Score™ is 83/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Beneish M-Score calculated?
Beneish M-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Illinois Tool Works (STU:ILT), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.43 as of Jun. 25, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Illinois Tool Works (STU:ILT) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Illinois Tool Works stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of €232.20 is trading 0.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of €234.19. GuruFocus considers Illinois Tool Works to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for STU:ILT:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.43
  • GF Value™: €234.19 vs. price of €232.20 (0.8% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 83/100 with 1 warning sign

No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:ILT stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Illinois Tool Works Business Description

Address 155 Harlem Avenue, Glenview, IL, USA, 60025
Founded in 1912, Illinois Tool Works has become a diversified industrial manufacturer through acquisitions and innovations that follow customer needs. ITW operates through seven business segments, with no segment representing more than one-fifth of revenue. ITW's automotive OEM segment sells vehicle components; its food equipment segment sells commercial kitchen appliances; its test and measurement and electronics segment sells inspection and analysis equipment; its welding segment sells welding equipment and consumables; its polymers and fluids segment sells industrial and consumer adhesives, solvents, and coatings; its construction products segment sells building fasteners and tools; and its specialty products segment sells medical, packaging, HVAC, and airport ground equipment.
83GF Score

Get the complete analysis for STU:ILT

Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

€232.20
Price
€234.19
GF Value