Illinois Tool Works Inc. vs Zscaler Inc — how do they compare? Illinois Tool Works Inc. trades at $292.5 (market cap $83.49B), while Zscaler Inc trades at $176.84 (market cap $28.87B). The key difference: Illinois Tool Works Inc. is far larger — about 2.9× Zscaler Inc's market cap, and Illinois Tool Works Inc. pays a 2.35% dividend while Zscaler Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ITW | ZS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $83.49B | $28.87B |
Sector | Industrials | Technology |
52-Week High | $299.60 | $336.27 |
52-Week Low | $241.07 | $118.05 |
Enterprise Value | $92.34B | $27.20B |
Dividend Yield | 2.35% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ITW trades at $293.66, down 0.29% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company maintains strong profitability with 19.39% net income margin and 104.65% ROE, though valuations appear elevated at P/E 26.55 and P/B 28.85. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations at $2.84 EPS, and management raised full-year guidance amid manufacturing sector recovery. The company announced a 7% dividend increase and $6 billion share repurchase program in August 2026.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus target of $314.25 offering 7% upside potential. Key catalysts include continued manufacturing recovery and margin expansion from the 80/20 program. Risks include premium valuation concerns and potential organic sales declines masked by currency gains. Institutional sentiment is mixed with 21% buy ratings versus 32% sell recommendations.
Zscaler (ZS) trades at $176.11, showing modest daily movement. The stock exhibits a bullish technical trend with strong analyst support, evidenced by 42 buy ratings and a consensus price target of $191.81. Recent earnings consistently beat expectations, with Q1 2026 EPS of $1.08 surpassing the $1.01 forecast. Revenue growth is robust, increasing from $1.1B in 2022 to $2.67B in 2025, though the company remains unprofitable with a net income margin of -2.44%.
The outlook is positive due to strong revenue growth, leadership in cloud security, and bullish analyst sentiment. Key risks include persistent unprofitability, high valuation multiples like a P/S of 8.94, and competitive pressures in the cybersecurity sector. The upcoming Q2 2026 earnings report on September 3, 2026, will be critical for validating growth trajectory and investor confidence.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Zscaler is a security-as-a-service firm that offers its customers cloud-delivered solutions for protecting user devices and data. The firm leverages its position in 150 colocation data centers to deliver traditionally appliance-based security functionality, such as firewalls and sandboxes, as a completely cloud-native platform. The firm focuses on large enterprise customers and offers two primary product suites: Zscaler Internet Access, which securely connects users to externally managed application and websites (such as Salesforce and Google), and Zscaler Private Access, which securely connects users to internally managed applications. Both product suites encompass a broad gamut of capabilities situated across the traditional security stack.
Read more on ZS →