Hormel Foods Corp vs Illinois Tool Works Inc. — how do they compare? Hormel Foods Corp trades at $19.46 (market cap $10.69B), while Illinois Tool Works Inc. trades at $264.18 (market cap $74.38B). The key difference: Illinois Tool Works Inc. is far larger — about 7× Hormel Foods Corp's market cap, and Hormel Foods Corp pays the higher dividend (6.02%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Hormel Foods Corp for 99 Days and Illinois Tool Works Inc. for 67 Days on average.
| HRL | ITW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.69B | $74.38B |
Volume | 10,041,387 | 1,125,477 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Industrials |
52-Week High | $26.50 | $299.60 |
52-Week Low | $19.42 | $241.07 |
Typical Hold Time | 99 Days | 67 Days |
Enterprise Value | $12.67B | $83.23B |
Dividend Yield | 6.02% | 2.63% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Hormel Foods (HRL) trades at $19.55, down 1.66% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported a net income margin of 2.82% for 2025, with recent quarterly EPS beats but a year-over-year decline in net income. Its acquisition of Brakebush for $1.06 billion aims to expand its foodservice chicken business, while the dividend yield remains a key attraction as a Dividend King.
The stock presents a mixed outlook: analyst consensus targets $24.25 imply upside, but high P/E of 31.53 and shrinking profit margins pose valuation and growth concerns. Risks include execution on acquisitions and consumer spending pressures, yet the strong dividend history offers income stability.
ITW trades at $261.15, down 2.24% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages. The company demonstrates strong profitability with a 19.39% net income margin and has beaten EPS estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent news highlights its status as a Dividend King, having raised its dividend to $1.72 per share, with a forward yield of approximately 2.57%.
The outlook is mixed; strong fundamentals and a consensus price target of $280.14 suggest upside potential, but a high P/E ratio of 23.65 and bearish technical indicators indicate near-term pressure. Key risks include economic sensitivity and rising debt levels, while institutional buying provides some support.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Latest headlines on both assets
Hormel Foods is a protein-focused branded food company. Its brands include its namesake Hormel, Spam, Jennie-O, Dinty Moore, Applegate, Wholly Guacamole, and Skippy. The vast majority of the company's revenue is U.S.-based: 64% U.S. retail, 28% U.S. food service, and 8% international. By product type, in fiscal 2021, 23% of revenue was shelf-stable foods, 18% was poultry (branded and commodity), 55% was other perishable food, and 3% was other, primarily nutritional products. The company holds the number-one market position in shelf-stable meat, shelf-stable ready meals, pepperoni, natural/organic deli meat, and guacamole and the number-two position in turkey, bacon, chilled ready meals, and peanut butter.
Read more on HRL →Illinois Tool Works is a diversified global manufacturer that produces specialized industrial equipment, consumables, and related services. The firm operates 87 global divisions through seven distinct operating segments: automotive OEM, construction products, food equipment, specialty products, test/measurement and electronics, polymers and fluids, and welding. About half of its revenue comes from its operations in North America, with the remainder originating from international markets. ITW takes a bottom-up and decentralized approach to portfolio management, with the exception that each segment must apply its 80/20 operating process modeled on the Pareto principle.
Read more on ITW →