Illinois Tool Works Inc. vs United States Natural Gas Fund — how do they compare? Illinois Tool Works Inc. trades at $263.26 (market cap $74.38B), while United States Natural Gas Fund trades at $10.75 (market cap $522.93M). The key difference: Illinois Tool Works Inc. is far larger — about 142.2× United States Natural Gas Fund's market cap, and Illinois Tool Works Inc. pays a 2.63% dividend while United States Natural Gas Fund pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Illinois Tool Works Inc. for 67 Days and United States Natural Gas Fund for 22 Days on average.
| ITW | UNG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $74.38B | $522.93M |
Volume | 1,125,477 | 33,973,188 |
Sector | Industrials | Commodities - Energy |
52-Week High | $299.60 | $16.90 |
52-Week Low | $241.07 | $9.63 |
Typical Hold Time | 67 Days | 22 Days |
Enterprise Value | $83.23B | — |
Dividend Yield | 2.63% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ITW trades at $264.71, down 0.91% on the day, with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong fundamentals with 19.39% net margins and 104.65% ROE, though valuation multiples appear elevated. Recent dividend increase to $1.72 reinforces its Dividend King status with 59 years of consecutive growth. Operating cash flow remains robust at $3.13B, supporting continued shareholder returns.
Outlook remains mixed with analyst consensus target of $280.14 offering 5.8% upside, but technical indicators signal near-term pressure. The company faces headwinds in automotive and foodservice segments while maintaining strong organic growth prospects. Debt levels have increased to 55.54% of assets, requiring monitoring amid rising interest rates.
UNG trades at $11.03, up 2.7% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a neutral RSI. The company reported a net income of $65.15 million in 2024, though revenue was $0.00, and maintains a strong balance sheet with total assets of $790.02 million and minimal liabilities. Recent news highlights volatility in natural gas markets due to geopolitical tensions and record U.S. production.
The outlook for UNG is mixed, with bullish technicals and solid profitability offset by revenue uncertainty and market risks. Key opportunities include potential price support from geopolitical events, while risks involve natural gas price fluctuations and high production levels pressuring margins.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
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 →UNG is a commodity ETF that tracks the daily price movements of natural gas futures. It primarily invests in front-month contracts at the Henry Hub, making it a highly volatile tool for short-term trading rather than long-term holding due to contango and roll costs.
Read more on UNG →