Illinois Tool Works (WBO:ITW) ROC %: 25.12% (As of Mar. 2026)

Illinois Tool Works  (WBO:ITW) ROC % Explanation

ROC % measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. It is also called ROIC %. The reason book values of debt and equity are used is because the book values are the capital the company received when issuing the debt or receiving the equity investments.

There are four key components to this definition. The first is the use of operating income or EBIT rather than net income in the numerator. The second is the tax adjustment to this operating income or EBIT, computed as a hypothetical tax based on an effective or marginal tax rate. The third is the use of book values for invested capital, rather than market values. The final is the timing difference; the capital invested is from the end of the prior year whereas the operating income or EBIT is the current year's number.

Why is ROC % important?

Because it costs money to raise capital. A firm that generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases, whereas a firm that earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital will destroy value as it grows.

As of today, Illinois Tool Works's WACC % is 8.65%. Illinois Tool Works's ROC % is 26.53% (calculated using TTM income statement data). Illinois Tool Works generates higher returns on investment than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment. It is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases.

Be Aware

Like ROE % and ROA %, ROC % is calculated with only 12 months of data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.

Illinois Tool Works ROC % Related Terms

The historical data trend for Illinois Tool Works's ROC % 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 ROC % Chart

Illinois Tool Works Annual Data
	Trend	Dec16	Dec17	Dec18	Dec19	Dec20	Dec21	Dec22	Dec23	Dec24	Dec25
ROC %		Get a 7-Day Free Trial					24.06	24.16	24.34	27.78	24.17

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
ROC %	Get a 7-Day Free Trial															24.39	25.69	27.70	26.12	25.12

Illinois Tool Works ROC % Calculation

Illinois Tool Works's annualized Return on Capital (ROC %) for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as:

where

Illinois Tool Works's annualized Return on Capital (ROC %) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

where

Note: The Operating Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) data. The tax rate is limited to between 0% and 100%.

* 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 Business Description