IPGP vs ATS vs NDSN Stock Comparison

Ipg Photonics, Ats and Nordson Prices as of Oct 28, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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IPGP Ipg Photonics Corp
$75.53 -2.2% 1M -13.2% 1Y
Market cap
$3.20B
P/E
116.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.07B
Div. yield
–
Industrial Machinery Industrials
1 win
ATS ATS Corp /ATS
$19.16 +1.8% 1M -29.5% 1Y
Market cap
$1.87B
P/E
55.1x
Revenue (TTM)
$2.12B
Div. yield
–
Industrial Machinery Industrials
2 wins
NDSN Nordson Corp
$326.02 -1.6% 1M +38.5% 1Y
Market cap
$18.32B
P/E
33.0x
Revenue (TTM)
$2.98B
Div. yield
0.01%
Industrial Machinery Industrials
8 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Nordson leads on 8 of the 12 questions below (Nordson 8, Ats 2, Ipg Photonics 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionIPGPATSNDSNLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $3.20B $1.87B $18.32B NDSN
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 116.3x 55.1x 33.0x NDSN
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 71.9x 18.6x 29.3x ATS
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +13.0% +14.8% +7.0% ATS
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 2.6% 1.6% 18.6% NDSN
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — 3.7% 13.1% NDSN
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — 3.5x 1.7x NDSN
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.01% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -13.2% -29.5% +38.5% NDSN
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -13.8%/yr — +5.1%/yr NDSN
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 72.0% 51.9% 22.2% NDSN
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 59/100 52/100 59/100 IPGP

Percentile Scorecard

IPGPATSNDSN

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisIPGPATSNDSN
Valuation 40 #122 of 203 86 #30 of 203 30 #143 of 203
Growth 32 #129 of 188 80 #39 of 188 57 #82 of 188
Profitability 32 #126 of 184 44 #103 of 184 97 #6 of 184
Financial Health 96 #9 of 217 24 #166 of 217 56 #97 of 217
Shareholder Returns 94 #10 of 153 28 #110 of 153 54 #71 of 153
Overall 59 52 59
  • IPGP ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • ATS ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • NDSN ranked among 222 companies in Machinery

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodIPGPATSNDSNSPY
1 month -2.2%+1.8%-1.6% +0.9%
3 months -5.8%-27.8%+10.5% +5.9%
6 months -33.3%-38.9%+16.3% +8.5%
Year to date +5.5%-30.4%+35.6% +13.3%
1 year -13.2%-29.5%+38.5% +12.4%
3 years -14.3%-44.5%+53.7% +88.1%
3 years, per year -5.0%-17.8%+15.4% +23.5%
5 years -52.5%—+28.2% +68.2%
5 years, per year -13.8%—+5.1% +11.0%
10 years -22.1%—+229.6% +263.4%
10 years, per year -2.5%—+12.7% +13.8%

Risk

MeasureIPGPATSNDSNSPY
Volatility, 1Y 72.0%51.9%22.2% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 77.7%62.3%21.3% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 2.151.550.88 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.18-0.571.74 0.98
Max drawdown, 5Y -72.0%-64.5%-39.9% -25.4%
From 52-week high -50.9%-45.8%-2.6% -0.9%
52-week high $153.91$35.38$334.70 $779.14
52-week low $69.41$17.29$226.69 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleIPGPATSNDSN
P/E now vs peer median 116.4xmedian 25.4x 55.2xmedian 25.4x 32.7xmedian 25.4x
P/S now vs peer median 3.0xmedian 1.9x 0.9xmedian 1.9x 6.1xmedian 1.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 31.2xmedian 14.3x 12.3xmedian 14.3x 21.3xmedian 14.3x
P/FCF now vs peer median 154.5xmedian 21.8x 10.4xmedian 21.8x 25.1xmedian 21.8x
P/B now vs peer median 1.5xmedian 2.2x 1.5xmedian 2.2x 5.6xmedian 2.2x
PEG now vs peer median -3.43median 1.41 -1.73median 1.41 7.43median 1.41

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsIPGPATSNDSN
Revenue $1.07B $2.12B $2.98B
Gross profit $410.10M $594.19M $1.65B
Operating income $7.97M $119.42M $800.96M
Net income $27.56M $33.97M $555.18M
Free cash flow $20.80M $180.36M $724.01M
R&D $123.44M – –
EPS (diluted) $0.64 $0.35 $9.91
Cash & equivalents $399.23M $140.09M $113.43M
Total debt – $3.79B $1.73B
Shares (diluted) 42.91M 98.14M 56.03M
Enterprise value -$189.54M $1.19B $17.87B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricIPGPATSNDSN
P/E 116.4x 55.2x 32.7x
P/FCF 154.5x 10.4x 25.1x
P/Operating cash flow 33.3x 9.2x 23.5x
P/S 3.0x 0.9x 6.1x
P/B 1.5x 1.5x 5.6x
P/Tangible book 1.5x 2.4x 6.9x
EV/EBITDA 31.2x 12.3x 21.3x
EV/EBIT 293.8x 21.9x 24.7x
EV/Revenue 2.2x 1.2x 6.6x
EV/FCF 112.6x 14.5x 27.3x
EV/Operating cash flow 24.3x 12.8x 25.6x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -3.43 -1.73 7.43

Growth

14 metrics
MetricIPGPATSNDSN
Revenue growth (1Y) 13.0% 14.8% 7.0%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -7.9% 1.5% 4.7%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 25.1% 24.9% 8.4%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -6.8% 1.2% 5.5%
Operating income growth (1Y) 103.4% 4,708% 18.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -62.6% -12.6% 6.4%
Net income growth (1Y) 112.8% 228.1% 22.0%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -36.2% -30.6% 3.5%
EPS growth (1Y) 112.7% 227.3% 23.5%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -34.0% -32.0% 4.4%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -36.2% 32.1% 26.2%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -24.2% 77.8% 5.9%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -67.8% 37.0% 33.3%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -43.0% 279.9% 5.6%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricIPGPATSNDSN
Gross margin 38.4% 28.0% 55.3%
EBITDA margin 7.0% 10.0% 31.2%
Operating margin 0.7% 5.6% 26.9%
Pretax margin 3.7% 2.4% 22.6%
Net margin 2.6% 1.6% 18.6%
FCF margin 1.9% 8.5% 24.3%
Operating cash flow margin 9.0% 9.6% 26.0%
Return on equity 1.3% 2.7% 17.2%
Return on assets 1.1% 1.1% 9.3%
Return on invested capital – 3.7% 13.1%
Return on capital employed 0.4% – 15.3%
Asset turnover 0.4x 0.7x 0.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 3.5x 6.0x 1.4x
Stock comp / revenue 3.9% 0.1% 0.8%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricIPGPATSNDSN
Debt / assets – 28.8% 29.1%
Debt / equity – 0.7x 0.5x
Net debt / EBITDA – 3.5x 1.7x
Debt / FCF – 4.8x 2.4x
Liabilities / assets 12.3% 57.9% 45.0%
Equity / assets 87.7% 42.1% 55.0%
Interest coverage – 1.7x 8.8x
Current ratio 6.2x – 1.8x
Quick ratio 4.4x – 1.0x
Cash ratio 3.6x – 0.2x
Altman Z-score 9.08 – 6.28

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricIPGPATSNDSN
Dividend yield – – 1.0%
Net buyback yield 4.1% 0.3% 1.1%
Shareholder yield 4.1% 0.3% 2.1%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – 33.0%
Payout ratio (FCF) – – 25.3%
Dividend growth (1Y) – – 3.3%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – 7.2%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusIPGPATSNDSN
Forward P/E 71.9xFY2026 18.6xFY2026 29.3xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $1.05FY2026 $1.03FY2026 $11.14FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +43.8%FY2026 -14.9%FY2026 +8.8%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +109.5% +37.9% +21.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $1.18BFY2026 $1.98BFY2026 $3.19BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +18.1%FY2026 -7.6%FY2026 +14.3%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +7.7% +2.9% +5.7%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersIPGPATSNDSN
Held by institutions 71.5% 83.4% 76.0%
Institutions holding 356 143 755
Change in shares held, QoQ +4.7% -9.9% +3.1%
Institutions buying 214 82 389
Institutions selling 96 46 240
Buyers to sellers 2.23 1.78 1.62

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

IPGPATSNDSN
IPGP 1.00 0.21 0.31
ATS 0.21 1.00 0.37
NDSN 0.31 0.37 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, IPGP, ATS and NDSN?

Nordson (NDSN) is the largest by market capitalisation: Ipg Photonics (IPGP) $3.20B, Ats (ATS) $1.87B, Nordson (NDSN) $18.32B.

Which stock is cheaper, IPGP, ATS and NDSN?

Nordson (NDSN) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Ipg Photonics (IPGP) 116.3x, Ats (ATS) 55.1x, Nordson (NDSN) 33.0x). On next year's consensus earnings, Ats (ATS) is cheapest (Ipg Photonics (IPGP) 71.9x, Ats (ATS) 18.6x, Nordson (NDSN) 29.3x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Ats (ATS) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Ipg Photonics (IPGP) +13.0%, Ats (ATS) +14.8%, Nordson (NDSN) +7.0%.

Which company is more profitable?

Nordson (NDSN) has the highest net margin (Ipg Photonics (IPGP) 2.6%, Ats (ATS) 1.6%, Nordson (NDSN) 18.6%). On return on invested capital, Nordson (NDSN) leads (Ats (ATS) 3.7%, Nordson (NDSN) 13.1%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Nordson (NDSN) returned the most: Ipg Photonics (IPGP) -13.2%, Ats (ATS) -29.5%, Nordson (NDSN) +38.5%. Over five years, Nordson (NDSN) compounded fastest (Ipg Photonics (IPGP) -13.8%/yr, Nordson (NDSN) +5.1%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Ipg Photonics (IPGP) 0.00%, Ats (ATS) 0.00%, Nordson (NDSN) 0.01%. Ipg Photonics (IPGP) and Ats (ATS) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Nordson (NDSN) has been the steadiest (Ipg Photonics (IPGP) 72.0%, Ats (ATS) 51.9%, Nordson (NDSN) 22.2%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, IPGP, ATS and NDSN?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Nordson (NDSN) leads on 8. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.